The Winds of Time
by ausland
Summary: A change of events during the Horcrux Hunt; Hermione is sent to another dimension, trapped in Hogwarts during the Maruaders' seventh year- 1977. She has to wait for the winter solstice, when Harry will come, and the summer solstice, which will send them both back. Chapter 11 Edited.
1. The Arrival

**New story! Hello, I am Ausland, and this is my new story! I am hoping my muse and I will have a long and fertile relationship so you can get updates often. Note that reviews help the creative process. I got this idea a while ago and have been writing like a mad person since. I have three chapters written, and you will probably get updates every week. I am still in school, so be reminded finals are coming up so I will be busy. Now: enjoy!**

**About this story: It is AU, as of the second half of the last book. More will be revealed later. Hermione is different. So is Harry. Slight Ron Dumbledore, and Ginny bashing, very slight. Harry arrives in Chapter 11, so at least read until then. I was told I get kind of depressing, but more than make up for it in fluff. But don't expect everything to be all hunky-dory...**

***** Chapter Edited as of 7-15-11. I fixed some stuff that did not add up, and added more depth. And fixed a lot of mistakes. *****

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It was a cold, clear, evening on the night of October 13, 1977. The stars were bright, the wind was blowing, and the brilliant red of Lily Evans' hair was the only splash of color on the moonlit night.

Lily Evans and James Potter were on their second official date (it was their third non-official, but only James counted the time when both had stayed over Christmas and the rest of the Hogwarts-bound Gryffindors were sick so they had to eat at the same table) and all was well in the world.

The couple had been 'together' for a while. Owling over the summer, meeting in secret for the first few weeks of the school year, snogging in the secret passages... They knew they were deceiving no one, but they had still not made it offical.

"So... Lily... I was wondering...if...maybe, you and...well, me too of course...Oh screw this! Go to Hogsmeade with me Lily?" James was far to flustered to be considered cute at this point, but Lily was the one holding his hand, so she felt compelled to admit to herself that she thought James was very cute indeed when flustered, and so she blushed and nodded yes. James let out a whoop, and picked Lily up and spun her around, narrowly missing setting her down in the lake in his excitement.

"THE LOVELY LADY LILY IS GO-"

"Shut _up, _James! If you continue with your shouting I will not be going to Hogsmeade with you!" Lily whispered, blushing furiously. Part of her was overjoyed that James was so excited about a date with her to shout it out to the world, and the other part of her was worried about what people would think about her seemingly vanished hatred of James Potter. They had been sneaking around for three weeks; only the Marauders knew about them. It was a long time in coming but James had finally wooed her-

A bright light and the sound of a body hitting the ground stopped Lily's train of thought. A groan banished the aforementioned train. Lily snapped out of her shock and ran for the spot where the body had fallen. James had reached the girl (for the body was that of a female) at the same time she did, and whispered a quick _"Lumos"_ to shed some light on the situation.

The girl was thin, horribly so, like one who had not seen meals for a long time and was living on the fat stored in her body. Her clothes (what remained of them, really) were torn and bloody, and Lily could see several scars on her abdomen, arms, and legs. The most noticeable was a long, ugly, curving line that went from her right collarbone, between her breasts to finish at her left hip. Other than being skin and bones, the girl had various wounds and abrasions, as well as vibrant bruises. However, even past all the injuries, the girl was still a beauty, if not a classic one. A long mane of bushy brown curls framed an all-too-pale face with delicate lashes and a determined chin. The poor thing also had a few scars on her face, as well as a hand shaped bruise that Lily was sure had come from a woman's slap.

Lily brushed a few errant curls out of the girl's face, pulling her hand away to discover the liquid that had matted her hair so was blood. The gentle touch had awakened the girl, who tried to push herself up and failed. She was flickering in and out of consciousness, muttering and sometimes saying phrases clearly.

"Harry! Harry it's a trap you can't do that its hurts me but you're safe I'll kill him myself if he hurts you he's gonna to hurt you I gotta stop him from hurting Harry I love you Harry I will always love you Harry live for me live live live you left me behind but I still love you..." the girl was thrashing and making Lily notice with a gasp that the girl had a knife embedded in her side and there was so much blood she thought she was going to faint and-

"Lily! Lily snap out of it! We need to get her to the hospital wing!" James said, voice harsh. "You have to stun her to stop her from moving and losing blood and levitate her to the hospital wing. I'll get Dumbledore and Minnie- but we have to go now," James was shaking her, and yes, she did agree with him. His voice was calmer than she would have thought possible, and it seemed logical to follow his orders. Lily stood up shakily and stunned the poor girl, gathering her will to move burden to the hospital wing. _Its only the first floor, you can make it past the ground floor to the first floor Lily..._

Lily did not know how she did it, but she got the girl to Madam Pomfrey before she threw up. Dumbledore and McGonagall burst into the hospital wing close behind James, who was talking a mile a minute until he saw how bad it really was in the light of the hospital wing.

With the harsh light of the chandelier, the girl seemed even more emaciated than before. She had her wand in one hand and a backpack slung over her other arm, the arm without a deep gash. The knife was in her right side, and by the looks of it, had also slashed her left arm. Madam Pomfrey looked at Dumbledore with wide eyes, and turned to shoo James and Lily away. They left without a fuss, both deeply disturbed by what they had seen, and heard.

They left the Hospital Wing, walking in a kind of daze. Lily's head was spinning and she could feel tears silently flowing down her face. James had a shell-shocked look expression not often seen on the face of a prankster like him.

After about five minutes of walking like that; separate and silent, Lily fell into James' arms sobbing and shaking, wondering what was going on with the poor girl. James pulled her into a secret passage (the one he and Sirius had found in their first year that led from the first floor to a tapestry on the fourth floor, and from there it was a short walk to a suit of armor that would move aside if you said "Lollypop" revealing a passage to the seventh floor that was only two feet away from the Fat Lady). However, James only led Lily a few feet into the passage and sat down with her on his lap, wondering how he was supposed to comfort her if he himself was very freaked out by what he had witnessed.

"James?" Lily's voice was trembling. "James, do you think this Harry person she was talking about is okay?"

James shook his head. "I don't know, Lily. But it seems like someone wants to hurt him and she helped him get away." With that, James and Lily walked back to Gryffindor tower, both thinking about what they had seen that night, and wondering if they had done the right thing.

* * *

Dumbledore and McGonagall watched silently as Poppy Pomfrey worked on the girl. Dumbledore had her pack, salvaged from the mess of bloody rags that were the rest of her clothes. He sighed, thinking that this was the worst he had seen since Grindelwald, and the night was not over yet. Poppy had removed the knife and was attempting to staunch the blood flow while McGonagall was working on what had brought the girl to Hogwarts through the impressive wards that the founders themselves had set up.

Minerva McGongall shook her head and stretched. "Albus, I have no idea what brought the poor thing to Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey can probably tell you more."

Madam Pomfrey frowned. "I can, but not much more. She is approximately eighteen. Maybe nineteen, but I think she had a few months left till that. She is only 82 pounds due to severe malnutrition. She looks like she has spent a lot of time locked up recently," she said, holding up one wrist with visible marks on it. "Locked up and underground. I would say she was spending most of the time under torture," at this, she looked directly at the two shocked teachers, "Her captors used this knife on her liberally, as well as the Cruciatus curse. According to my readings, this young lady has a total of thirty-two hours under the Cruciatus in her lifetime."

McGonagall gasped, hand flying to her lips. "Just half an hour is enough to drive someone mad. How?"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "I have no idea. But I can say no one had been treating her injuries. As for previous healing, I found I have healed the long scar we have right here," Madam Pomfrey said, her eyes large,"as well as several cases of magical exhaustion and basilisk exposure. I also fixed her teeth several years ago. She also has a slight tweak to her magical signature that reveals long-term use of a Time Turner, as well as Polyjuice Potion. Albus, how can this be?"

The old man shook his head, eyes sad and haunted. "I don't know Poppy. But this poor thing has received treatment from yourself?" he asked.

"Yes, Albus, most recently was one year ago for minor scrapes and bruises, as well as magical exhaustion. But I have never met the girl in my life!" Madam Pomfrey looked worried and seemed annoyed by the calm Dumbledore was showing.

"I fear we will have to invade her privacy and look in her bag for clues to who she is. Minerva?" The group gathered around an vacant bed and emptied the pack. Out tumbled a diary, a change of clothes, and a beaded bag. Pomfrey opened to fancy, yet worn bag, and gasped at the charms on it. She looked at the girl lying on the bed, then back at the bag. No. It wasn't possible for the child to have done these herself. She looked like she was barely seventeen! Inside the beaded bag, Poppy could see other bags, what looked like over twenty books, a tent, and other assorted items. She grabbed some of the books close to the top, laying them on the bed. Near the top of the bag was a shrunken truck, which looked like it might hold a few of the answers she and her colleagues were searching for. Reaching into the bag, she set it on the ground and enlarged it, then looked at the rather complicated lock.

"Albus? We need a five letter password to get into the trunk I found in the girl's purse," Poppy said, seeming quite put out by it.

"Try 'Harry,' and if that doesn't work, try 'Mione,' spelled M-i-o-n-e, Poppy," Dumbledore replied, looking at one of the books Poppy had taken out of the bag. "I think the girl's name is Hermione Granger. Her scrapbook shows her mainly with two boys, a red-head and a child who looks remarkably like James Potter. Almost all the pictures are at Hogwarts, and the children are wearing uniforms so it would be safe to assume they are Hogwarts students."

"Harry was the right password, Headmaster. The trunk is full of... Potions and medicines!" The other two teachers gathered around the trunk. Inside was everything from essence of ditany to Polyjuice Potion.

"That is good Poppy, but I think we need to look at this scrapbook," Professor Dumbledore said with a sense of dread in his voice. "From what I can tell, this girl went to Hogwarts some time in the last fifteen years, as Poppy's magical signature has healed her, but none of us remember her. But look a look at the back of this photograph," he whispered, holding out the piece of evidence.

It was a simple picture of three children who looked to be in their sixth year, the girl between a lanky red haired boy and a boy who did bear a startling resemblance to James Potter, except for his eyes, which were green. They were in front of the lake in winter, as it was snowing and in the background you could see children skating. It was a wizarding photograph, so the picture was moving, the three teens laughing and shoving snow down each others backs. Dumbledore flipped the picture over, and the two women paled when they saw what was written on the back.

_Ronald Bilus Weasley, Hermione Jane Granger, and Harry James Potter. December 5, 1996  
Photograph taken by Colin Creevy_

"1996! But it's only 1977! That's impossible!"

"But it's not Minerva. Look at this one." Dumbledore removed another picture from the album.

It was a picture that was obviously supposed to be formal. In it were several people they did not know, but many they did. Dumbledore and Minerva were in the picture, but both looked twenty years older. In it were two people who were obviously Molly and Arthur Weasley, but they looked amazingly aged. Mad-eye Moody was there, but was missing a leg and a chunk out of his nose. Sirius Black was there, but looked like he had been in Azkaban for ten years. Remus Lupin was also present, as well as the girl and the two boys. On the back of the photo was the same neat handwriting as the first.

_The Order of the Phoenix (Who came for dinner on August 18, 1995)  
Mad-eye Moody, Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks  
Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Severus Snape, Mundungus Fletcher, Fred Weasley, George Weasley  
Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Ginny Weasley_

"How is this possible?" Minerva looked almost in tears.

"Hermione is most likely from either the future, or another dimension," Dumbledore said gravely. "She is not from this time."

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**So... What do you think? I would really like feedback. This is going to be Harry/Hermione, because I hate Ron/Hermione. The next chapter will come up when I finish the fourth chapter, that way I always have a cushion. **

**If you notice any spelling errors, please tell me.**


	2. Hospital Wing

**I loved the response to the first chapter! Thanks and more thanks to all who reviewed!**

**Now: Chapter Two in which you will find out more information about Hermione. **

*****Chapter Edited as of 7-16-11. I took into account a rather rude but brutally honest review about this chapter. I hope I fixed my mistakes. Sorry to those who thought it was unrealistic.*****

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The next morning, Lily awoke with a small smile playing on her face. She was going to Hogsmeade with James Potter next week! Then Lily looked down at her hands, and saw the blood and grass on her hands and arms.

_A girl, blood, grass, knife in her side!_

Lily groaned, then checked the clock on her bedside table. 6:24 in the bloody morning. Lovely. At least she was the first one up so she could take the first shower. Shower, breakfast, talk with James or Dumbledore. Maybe not exactly in that order.

Lily peeked out from behind the curtains of her four poster bed to see if her dorm mates were still asleep. Even though there were five beds in the room, only four were occupied. Mary McDougal, Dorcas Meadows, herself, and Alice Prewitt. All her friends were still asleep, so she crept into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she could see it was worse than she had thought. She had had nightmares all night, only falling into a deep sleep in early morning, and she could see it on her face. Deep bags under her tired eyes, traces of blood still on her arms and under her nails, her hair a mess. Definitely not enough to win James over by beauty, so it would have to be by her wit alone.

Laughing to herself, she stepped into the shower, washing and drying without really thinking about it. Her thoughts were on the mysterious girl she had helped last night. What was her name? Who was the boy she was talking about? Was she okay? Could anyone be okay after looking like that?

When she was finished dressing, she almost ran down the stairs to see if James was up. He was, and was obviously waiting for her, along with Sirius and Remus. He gave her a hug and peck on the nose, then leaned down and whispered in her ear, "The boys were still up when we got back. They were wondering what had happened and I told them so they want to see her when we are done with breakfast. Is that okay with you?" The concern on his face was endearing, making her shiver slightly. Dear Lord, she was falling more in love with him every day.

"Of course, James. I don't mind it at all. But where is Peter?" She relaxed in his hold, comforted by it. He smelled so good...

"He's still sleeping. He didn't want to come," he murmured. "You know Wormy gets queasy around blood. And there was plenty of that last night." Excuses given, he straightened up and they all trooped down the 'secret' passage to the Great Hall.

After a quick breakfast (where between James and Sirius the half of the Gryffindor table they were at was empty in minutes) the four sat down in a secret passage to figure out what to do. They had hardly sat down when the Headmaster ducked his head in and asked them to come with him, eyes twinkling in a rather annoying way considering what the quartet was thinking about.

"Headmaster Dumbledore? Is the girl okay?" James asked. Lily was trying to keep up the man's fast pace. If they turned right at the next corner they would be heading to the hospital wing. She had gone the same way last night...

"Yes. Madam Pomfrey is going to bring her around in a few minutes and I wanted you to be there. I assume you told Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin what happened last night?" Dumbledore paused long enough for James to nod and turned right. He gave James a disapproving glance, which the boy interpreted to mean, 'You should have kept your mouth shut.' Oh, well. What was done was done.

The Headmaster turned his gaze back to the corridor in front of him. "With some investigating, we discovered that her name is Hermione Granger. And Mr. Potter? She might have a very strange reaction to you. Go along with what ever she says, if you can, as she is going to be under a potions induced haze and will not be completely lucid. The potion will also cause her to be influenced easily, so you are in no danger. Ah, we are here!" They had indeed arrived at the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall were waiting.

McGonagall gave Sirius a stern look, and he knew her well enough to know that now was not the time to joke around. "Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin? I need you to stay out here please. This will not take long, but if you want to you can start back to Gryffindor Tower. Enjoy your weekend." Both boys seemed a bit put out at the brief but kind dismissal, but turned around anyway, knowing they would get the full story out of James later.

"After me, if you please, Mr. Potter, Miss Evans." Madam Pomfrey's voice was crisp and professional, showing none of her apprehension at the Headmaster's plan. She had always been in awe of the great Headmaster, but really! Using children to get information was unacceptable to her. But there was a reason he was the Headmaster and she was the school nurse.

The small group moved together toward the curtained section of the ward, where they all knew a horrible sight awaited them.

Dumbledore just twinkled sadly at the sight of the girl, while Pomfrey lowered her head. Minerva's lips tightened into thin white lines, anger and sadness welling up within her. From what they had discovered the night before, this girl was one of her Gryffindors. It was her cub lying hurt in the bed!

Lily and James gasped and squeaked (well, Lily gasped and James squeaked but rest assured it was a very manly squeak) at the sight of the girl in the hospital bed. The light streaming in from the windows made the shadows cast by the girl's own bones on her cheeks stand out even more, and her bruised form was obviously ill. James looked at her face and had to hold in a growl when he saw the hand shaped bruise on her face. It was a ugly shade of blue, green, and purple and would probably take days to go away without Madam Pomfrey's help. Who had done this to her?

"Are you ready for me to bring her around, Headmaster?" Madam Pomfrey asked. She gave the teens a final disapproving look, obviously wanting them to be somewhere far away. Dumbledore noticed the look of course, and shook his head faintly. He wanted Mr. Potter present for the girl's awakening.

"Yes, Poppy. Mr. Potter, Miss Evans, I want you to stand back, with Mr. Potter in front. Professor McGonagall and I will be a bit further back, as Miss Granger might have an... adverse reaction to us. Mr. Potter, I want you to play along with what ever she says. Do you understand?" Dumbledore's voice was harsh, and he was obviously somewhat worried. Lily was worried as well, asking herself why Dumbledore wanted James in the front? If he was concerned about danger, why was her boyfriend the one who would get hurt?

Madam Pomfrey bent over the girl, putting her wand to Hermione's temple and muttering a few spells. She made sure the girl's wand was in her hand and backed away. "She will awake in exactly ten seconds," Poppy said, trying to sound professional and barely managing it. "She will feel no pain and will only be conscious for an hour. After that she will fall back asleep and will probably wake up tomorrow, all healed. And remember that blatant persuasion will have a strong influence on her. "

James focused on Hermione as the girl started to groan, then slowly open her eyes. He was the closest to her bed and could see in slow motion as Hermione's eyes snapped open, as she clutched her wand and almost flew out of the bed, ending with her wand at James' neck. James stiffened, feeling the smooth wood touching the base of his head. What in the flippin' world was happening? "Someone tell me where-" She gasped and turned James around. "Harry!"

James was winded by the amount of force the small girl put into her hug. He could feel her nose pressing into her chest, and wondered what Lily would think, looking back at her nervously. She saw his fear and smiled at him, obviously still a bit spooked over the sudden reversal of the situation. He could tell she was more than a little annoyed with Dumbledore for putting him in harm's way.

Meanwhile the girl was chattering excitedly, "Harry! Oh Harry, if you ever do that again I will skin you alive! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Her voice was slurred, but obviously concerned. It seemed that she was not unused to this sort of thing. "The last thing I remember was Voldemort, and, and Bellatrix and some kind of spell and I was knocked out. You were so stupid! Dobby made you leave me behind for a reason and the next time you plan a rescue mission like that, Harry James Potter I swear I will castrate you myself," at this, Hermione went quiet, her head still pressed into Harry's chest.

"Thank you for coming back for me, Harry. Bella was trying to find out where you were and every time she would use the Cruciatus and it would hurt so bad but I didn't give you up, Harry." Her tone changed a bit as she squeezed him again. "You feel a lot heavier, Harry. It seems like you've been eating, so how long was I out for? The last time I ate something filling was at Number 12 Grimmauld Place before we stormed the Ministry. Where are we, Harry?" With this she looked up at him, eyes wide and loving at first before they narrowed. Before James could say anything, he was spun around again and her wand was poking him in the base of his spine.

"Where am I? I swear I will kill him if you don't tell me where I am and where Harry is-" Her eyes locked on Dumbledore's and she went pale. "NO! You're dead! You're dead! Albus Dumbledore died last year! He left me books in his will, HE IS DEAD!" Her voice was still slurred, but her mind seemed sharper, clearer.

Dumbledore stepped a bit closer to Hermione. "Miss Granger I must insist you let go of young Mr. Potter there. I will be forced to hurt you if you continue to manhandle my students. Now can you sit down and explain what you mean about me being dead?" Hermione's shoulders slumped, defeated. In a kind of daze, she sat down heavily on the bed.

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore. Could you tell me what happened? Last time I remember is 1998 and you, James Potter, and Lily Potter are all dead. What is going on?" Hermione asked, putting a hand to her head.. It was _so_ not turning out to be a great day.

James looked at Lily, mouthing to her, "Dead?" She shook her head, frowning, mouthing back, "Time travel." She frowned again, then smiled, mouthing, "Lily Potter?" James grinned back at her. Lily Potter would be a reality!

Dumbledore looked at McGonagall before turning to Hermione. "Miss Granger, I think you have fallen through either space or time, placing you in your past or in another dimension. Today is October 14, 1977. I am Albus Dumbledore, and with me is Poppy Pomfrey, Minerva-"

"McGonagall, James Potter, and Lily -Evans if it is 1977. I know them Professor. Professor McGonagall was my Head of House and James and Lily Potter were the parents of my best friend. Madam Pomfrey had fixed everything from my teeth to a partial animal transformation in my second year. I know all of you. Well, I at least know of you." Hermione's voice trailed off.

"Miss Granger-" Dumbledore said loudly, but was cut off by the girl.

"I have to find a way to get back to my dimension or my time. We are fighting a war and I am the brains behind the three person operation. Harry and Ron needed me to defeat Voldemort. Do you know how to get me back to my proper place?" Hermione was determined to get back to Harry. If he got hurt without her there to restrain him and talk some sense into him...

"I'm afraid not, Miss Granger. However, you say you are in charge of an operation or war against Voldemort? I am afraid you have lost me there," Dumbledore looked almost apologetic. Hermione sighed and pressed her eyes with her hands, looking thoroughly annoyed.

" I am not in charge. I am just the researcher and the dictionary. My best friend is the leader. The entire war is being fought by myself and my two best friends, one of whom is prophesied to defeat the Dark Lord. I am the one who is the 'brains' of the operation-slash-war so to speak. I am the one who holds them back and stops them or rescues them from the stupid situations they often get into. And that is why I need to go back. Do you understand?" Hermione looked up and glared at Dumbledore, then looked quickly at James.

James, who was staring at the strange girl he had helped the night before, was startled by what he saw in her gaze. Something that looked like love, at least until she looked directly into his eyes. Shock, again. And a studying kind of curiosity that scared him more than he would have liked to admit. But while he was being honest with himself, James had to admit she was more than cute and he could see himself with her. If not for the Lovely Lady Lily who was going to Hogsmeade with him next week... James' eyes flickered over to Lily, and he allowed himself a small smile.

"I do understand, Miss Granger. But I am simply at a dead end to help you. I can offer you a spot at Hogwarts for the duration of you stay. You would be staying in the seventh year girl's dorm, along with Miss Evans here. Do you accept?" Dumbledore looked slightly ashamed of his inability to help the girl, but continued anyway. "Of course you will have unrestricted access to the Restricted Section of the Library and I full expect you to make full use of it and the Hogwarts Fund. Perhaps Lily or one of her friends could lend you robes before you get a chance to purchase you own in Hogsmeade next week?"

Lily started to answer, but was unintentionally cut off by Hermione. "No, Professor, I can Transfigure my own robes. It will be simple enough if you can get me some small scraps of cloth. It is always easier to do permanent Transfiguration if you start from the same material. Do you mind, Professor?"

Dumbledore's eyes widened as he considered the possibilities of permanent Transfiguration. He was curious as to how far Magic had developed more than twenty years into the future... then he realized he had yet to answer the girl. "Yes, of course that would be fine Miss Granger. Is there anything else you require?"

Hermione's brow furrowed as she began to think quickly. "Would it be possible for you to get a few potion ingredients? I know of a student here who is infected with lycanthropy and I know how to make a potion that would alleviate his symptoms, allowing him to have more control over his body during the change. Would that be acceptable?" Her eyes had quickly flown to James, then focused back on Dumbledore, who looked very excited.

"Of course it would be acceptable. I'm sure our friendly werewolf will be very excited about the potion. Now I am sure you are feeling sleepy, as the spell Madam Pomfrey used should be wearing off in around a half hour. Mr. Potter, Miss Evans, Professor McGonagall, and myself will be leaving now. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes, one, why are James and Lily here, and two, how soon can I start classes?"

"Mr. Potter and Miss Evans are here because they are the ones that found you, and you can start classes Monday. Today is Saturday. Goodbye Miss Granger." Dumbledore managed to sweep out of the room with his robes flaring impressively, effectively ending the conversation before it went in a direction he didn't want it to. McGonagall was slightly less quick to vacate the room, she looked at Hermione with sad eyes before taking her leave. James just gave her a cheeky grin and a wink, while Lily smiled shyly and waved. Hermione waved back, already feeling that the girl would be a good friend.

Dumbledore was waiting outside the door for the rest of the students. His eyes were grave as he addressed them. "You do know you cannot tell anyone about this, not even Miss Prewitt or Mrs. Black or Lupin. We just want to get Miss Granger home as soon as possible. Would the two of you mind showing her to her classes? I cannot impose on you how important secrecy is in this situation. We need to get Miss Granger home without altering this dimension or timeline. Do you understand?"

The two teens nodded, then were shooed off to enjoy their weekend, knowing they would probably burst with the secrets they had been entrusted with.

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**So... what did you think? I was very excited about this chapter, and even more excited about the next two. I have more than half of chapter five written, and will probably finish it and chapter six over this next week.**

**If I update on Wednesday, will you guys read and review as much as on the weekend? Would you like twice weekly updates?**

*****Nine more chapters until Harry!*****

**Please review and check out the poll on my page. Thanks!**


	3. Boys

**Please don't kill me for this chapter. I updated early, so I should get artistic license, right? Do not freak out over Snape. Hermione is head over heels in love with a certain green-eyed Seeker. Sirius and Remus are not going to give Harry any competition either. They just like to think they will. Remember, I have a poll up right now, so if you want to vote, go vote. If you don't have an account, review with your vote and I will add it in.**

*****Chapter Edited as of 7-16-11. I fixed some _major_ mistakes. Ouch. It might be helpful to re-read this chapter. Thank you to everyone who is going through the edits. (And reviewing to thank me for revising)*****

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Hermione groaned as she woke up, bemoaning the lack of advancement in the pain potions Madam Pomfrey was using in this time. She had hardly been lucid yesterday, but she did remember throwing herself all over Harry's dad and telling everyone she was either a time or dimensional traveler. What if she had horribly damaged the time line? What if Harry was not born because she messed up? She shook her head. If she kept thinking this way she would never get out of bed.

Speaking of getting out of bed... Hermione sat up and carefully set the the covers to the side. She had her feet on the floor and was attempting to stand when Madam Pomfrey appeared. "Not on my watch, missy," she said sternly. "You will not get out of bed until I tell you that you can get out of bed. And that won't be until I have done a complete medical check up on you. Now, sweety, I know some of the things I may need to know are confidential, but I can assure you that the vow all Healers take insure perfect Healer-patient confidentiality."

Hermione sighed. Her attempt at leaving had been foiled by the unnatural senses of Madam Pomfrey. And she hadn't believed Harry when she had tried to tell him. How did she do it? Extra wards on the bed? A sixth sense?

Hermione chuckled to herself at that thought, then answered Madam Pomfrey. "Of course that will be fine Madam Pomfrey. But first can you tell me where my pack is? It has a lot of rather personal objects, as well as those that need to remain hidden for the good of this time line or dimension. It also has many of the ingredients needed to make the potion for Professor Lupin. Or rather, Remus Lupin. Sorry, I forgot Remus isn't a professor yet." Hermione looked close to tears, and her head was pounding. "Remembering to keep everything straight is going to be a huge problem for me. I'm going to have to keep my mouth shut for a few weeks. But yes, that examination is fine with me." Hermione flinched. She hated when she rambled, and she knew other people hated it too. She was going to have to find out what kind of potion took your common sense and not your pain.

Madam Pomfrey raised her wand and said a somewhat complicated diagnostic spell Hermione had only learned a few months ago. When Hermione saw the different lights that lit up on various places on her body, she groaned. If Madam Pomfrey wanted to ask her about every single one of these she was in for a long morning.

For almost two hours, Hermione answered questions about her past medical history. Everything from magical exhaustion in her first year, to Dolohov's curse in her fifth was covered. Madam Pomfrey healed the few remaining bruises and instructed Hermione to eat more and soon before allowing her to start her Transfiguration.

Two and a half hours after the disastrous escape attempt, Hermione left the Hospital Wing with a newly transfigured set of robes (all she needed was to get the Gryffindor patch from Dumbledore) and her shrunken pack in her pocket, and headed toward the Gryffindor dormitories on the seventh floor. However, she had to stop when she felt a sharp pain in her side, the one she remembered having a knife stuck in.

She sat down on a convenient window seat and smiled as she saw a group of first years laughing and having fun by the lake. The riot of Gryffindor colors in the trees and the fresh air had drawn many students out of the Common Rooms and into the grounds. It seemed like it had been years since she and Harry and Ron had been that innocent. She only realized she was crying when she felt something wet on her cheek. She wiped the tears away, laughing bitterly. Time always takes its toll on the young, and war only helps age a person. She spun around when she heard a familiar voice.

"Why are you crying?" A tall boy with long greasy hair and a large nose was regarding her curiously. _Snape, at age seventeen... Before he became a Death Eater and betrayed the Potters. Before he killed Albus Dumbledore on the top of the Astronomy Tower. Even if I don't like Dumbledore, he didn't deserve to die like that. _

Now was the time when Hermione would have to make a crucial choice. Try and change the time line, or leave it be? Act cruel toward future Death Eaters, and blame them for crimes far in the future, or try and save them. If she made a mistake, she might not even be born!

"I'm not crying anymore," Hermione said eyes glinting sharply. However, when she saw Snape's face stiffen, she softened. "And it was for no reason anyway. What's your name?" She thought she sounded stupid, thinking it obvious that she already knew his name.

"Severus Snape. And it was for a reason or you wouldn't be crying," he retorted. "I haven't seen you around here before. You're the new girl Professor Dumbledore told us about, right? Hermione Granger?" Snape actually seemed nice in this...place. Maybe if he had a friend he wouldn't become a Death Eater. Unless he wasn't already... Her thoughts were disrupted as he sat down next to her, black eyes strangely warm.

"Yes, I'm Hermione Granger. It it really was for no reason, Mr. Severus Snape," She with a stray sniff. "I will be staying at Hogwarts for a while. How much did the Headmaster tell you about me?" She cursed the Headmaster in her head. Why in the world did he not feel it necessary to inform her of her cover story? Then again, she shouldn't be surprised. She had a fairly accurate idea of exactly how much Dumbledore loved withholding information from people.

"Just that you were a refugee and that your parents had died in your country. I'm really sorry you know, my dad died a few years ago. I wasn't exactly fond of the drunk bastard but I still miss how he used to be. So what was that you were crying about?" He actually had an expression of sympathy and concern on his face. He was almost handsome when the light hit his face that way...

"No it wasn't. I was just thinking about my best friend. And thank you," She was looking at him with compassion. That was a new expression. "I doubt many people here would understand. Would you mind showing me where the Library is later? I really enjoy reading," Hermione said.

"Sure, no problem. I have to go meet Professor Slughorn to talk about a potion's apprenticeship. But, maybe we could meet later? By the way, Professor Slughorn is the Potions Professor here," Snape was standing up and was almost a quarter of the way down the corridor before he turned and ran back. "Hey, what house are you in?"

_Slytherin, please be Slytherin..._

Hermione's eyes looked sad, as if she knew what his response to her answer would be. "Gryffindor," she almost whispered. "But I know about house rivalries and I'm going to be your friend anyway. Okay?"

"Okay. See ya' round Hermione!"

Snape had first been downcast, cursing his very nature. Why did he have to Slytherin? Now this cute girl who loved reading would hate him! But then she said, with a very cute look of determination in her eyes, that she would still be his friend. He talked away with a smile on his face, almost back to the dungeons before he realized what had been making him so depressed earlier. First, he had actually noticed a girl other than Lily for more than a minute. And second, she was a Gryffindor and still wanted to be seen with him. The day was turning out better than he had thought it would.

Hermione had said sitting in the window for a few moments, gazing at the children lost in thought. It was only when she decided to continue up to the Gryffindor common room that she left the thoughts of Snape alone.

She was in pain and tired by the time she reached the sixth floor, and had to rest again, this time in a small niche in the wall. She leaned her head against the wall and let the thoughts of Serverus come back.

She was cautiously excited about the possibility of saving Snape from becoming the bitter servant of two masters that she had known. He seemed young and innocent to her, not that she wasn't young herself. But he last time she had seen him he was a man aged by time and war, as she was herself. Playing a double agent had also aged him beyond his years. It was a pity that she had only seen him as a bitter traitor. But now she had a chance to get to know him and Harry's parents. If she ever saw Harry again she could tell him about his parents! Things he had always wanted to know, things that no one else would be able to tell him.

Her next thoughts were on how Snape looked at her. Hermione was unused to male attention because in her younger years she was a socially awkward bookworm and in her teens, Harry and Ron had kept most of the boys away. She had always been a little overweight, but several months of starvation can do wonders for a little baby fat. Now she was thin to the point of emancipation. The stretched skin across her face brought out her cheekbones, and with a shower and proper charms her busy mane had settled into manageable curls. She had always known her eyes were her best feature, and with the paleness brought on by captivity they stood out. Her robes hid her thinness and her pallor could easily be mistaken for fair skin. She looked half-way pretty right now and Snape had noticed. If only Harry was here...

Harry. Hermione had been in love with Harry since their third year. Her crush had started in a girl's bathroom that had been destroyed by a troll and had evolved into love by the time the two of them were riding on a hippogriff to save a never-convicted 'murderer.' Of course he had never realized it, but it took a lot of effort to get through to an emotionally deprived celebrity who hated his fame and had no problem jumping on trolls to rescue girls. So she had languished in unrequited love for four years since she realized she really truly loved Harry Potter, accepting Viktor's plea for her to attend the dance with him. She had given up on Harry in sixth year, deciding that Harry's best mate (Who was also her second best friend) was the only way to stay close to Harry. She had bungled that up nicely, and finally decided to come clean to Harry after the game. But that night had gone down the gutter with Ginny jumping on Harry and kissing him. But she had stayed supportive and seemingly happy for them. Time went on and only the Felix Felicis had stopped her from getting seriously hurt the night Dumbledore died. His generous gift had saved her life more than once.

Then later on the hunt when Ron left them, she had seen them getting closer, and every day he did nothing caused her to cry herself to sleep at night, furious at her own cowardice. Later she realized he thought she was crying over Ron. Then Ron had returned and she had been furious with him. Really the only reason why she didn't kill him was because he had saved Harry's life. Then Harry said Voldemort's name and they were captured. Ron and Harry had been sent down to the dungeon of Malfoy Manor and she had been tortured. That was when everything went wrong. Dobby had transported Luna and Ollivander. Harry and called in his debt on Wormtail, and he and Ron had fled upstairs, trying to rescue her. When Dobby had returned, he had grabbed Harry and Ron and Apparated away, refusing to let 'Harry Potter Sir' get hurt helping Hermione. She could remember Bellatrix turning away from her, and seeing their faces before they were gone with a loud crack. Hermione was then imprisoned in Malfoy Manor for two months. She had been routinely tortured, but had avoided rape only by Voldemort's order. She had been starved, beaten, Crucio'ed... and then Harry had come to rescue her. He and Ron, along with Neville and Luna, had stormed Malfoy Manor to rescue her.

The attempted rescue had gone horribly wrong. Ron, Luna, and Neville had escaped. She and Harry and been captured and taken to the Dark Lord. She could remember everything... She and Harry were forced to kneel at the base of Voldemort's throne. Hermione had been taken away and Bellatrix had her wand to Hermione's throat, making her watch as Voldemort started torturing Harry. Voldemort was preparing to kill him with a silver knife, to make it as long and painfully drawn out as he could. Hermione had broken out of Bellatrix's grasp, running up to Voldemort and shoving Harry out of the way. She had started to beat Voldemort with her hands (note to self: a half starved girl does not have the strength to beat up an Evil Dark Lord: Do _not _try again), when he had cast a spell over the room, shoving the knife into her side at the same time. There was a rumble that felt like a small earthquake, a bright light, and Harry's green eyes, and the next thing she knew she was in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts.

Hermione took a deep breath, to hold back tears and reevaluate her current injuries. The only really painful ones were her side, which she could ignore, and the rapidly dissolving headache. Feeling well enough to walk, she made her way to the Gryffindor Common Room, stopping by the Fat Lady when she realized she did not know the password. Now she would have to wait until a Gryffindor let her in. _Well, this is just lovely, _she thought. _Of course Dumbledore would forget to give me the password. That is so like him._

She perked up when she heard the rowdy voices of three boys rounding the corner. She knew those voices...

"Moony! How many times do I have to tell you! Minnie loves me!"

"Professor McGonagall merely tolerates you Padfoot. Believe me, everyone who knows you merely tolerates you. Now we are going up to our room, and we are going to quiz Prongs about this mysterious new student he and Lily rescued."

"Remus, do we have do? For all we know she really is just a transfer student."

"Wormtail! She appeared in a flash of light! She is not normal!"

"Yeah, Wormtail. She might be an alien or something!"

"Shut up Padfoot. She is not an alien."

"No, I am not an alien. Could you please tell me the password to Gryffindor tower?" Hermione smirked as she saw the faces of the three boys. One was small and pudgy, with beady eyes and a slightly elongated nose. The boy in the middle was aristocratically handsome and jovial, with shoulder length black hair and a large grin on his face. The last boy looked tired and old, brown hair and amber eyes peering out from a face that was etched with scars. As she laughed, the boys turned either a rather fetching shade of scarlet, (Peter and Sirius) or amusingly pale for a moment when they realized she had heard them talking about her. But Sirius laughed and leaned in close to whisper, "Ostentatious."

"Thank you. I think Professor Dumbledore forgot to give me the password," Hermione whispered back. Sirius chuckled and put an arm around her.

"No problem, beautiful. What year are you in?" Hermione shook her head with the weirdness of it all. The heavy arm around her shoulders belonged to a man that had died more than two years ago. Having Sirius Black back and flirting with her was going to be a huge change. She really missed Harry...

"I'm in seventh. Do you know where Lily Evans is? I really need to get my schedule from her," said Hermione, deftly squirming out of Sirius' hold.

"Uh... yeah. She should be up in her dorm right now," Sirius looked confused, then shook it off as soon as she went inside the portrait hole.

"I call first dibs," he and Remus said together. They looked at each other, and glared a bit. "No, I do!"

Peter started laughing. "She's hot but she is way out of Padfoot's league. I'm placing my bets on Moony!"

Sirius looked comically offended, but offered a small smile toward Remus. "We can both pursue the fair lady. But whoever she agrees to go on a date with first gets her, okay? Is it a deal?"

Remus nodded, "Deal."

* * *

**Do you like it? If so, leave a review. If all the people who have an alert on this could review, I will post two more chapters this week. If not, no new chapter till Saturday. This is my bribe towards you. I like reviews, as they help give me a reason to write. I am going on Christmas Break soon, so expect faster updates and lengthy-er chapters!**

**Don't get too mad about the boys. I always like a story with several boys chasing one girl. It adds flavor and a chance for some fights...**


	4. Fun Times

**Well, I have officially admitted to myself that I love you guys. Just in love with you all. To show my appreciation, here is Chapter 4 a day early. **

**Announcement: Out of all the reviewers, one special person stands out to me. happylady has reviewed each chapter of every single on of my stories. So to her, I say thank you SOOOOO much. This chapter is dedicated to you in thanks and appreciation. I just adore your reviews. **

**Poll results so far:  
Sirius: 4  
Remus: 2  
Snape: 0  
All: 2 (Personally, I'm going for all of them falling hard and fast. And because I am the author, that is probably what is going to happen! )**

***** Chapter Edited as of 7-16-11. Please re-read this one because I add a entire conversation. I also opened the way for the plot in the later chapter to emerge. Enjoy!*****

* * *

Hermione entered the portrait hole and headed up the stairs to the girl's dormitories, hardly looking at the familiar furniture filled with curious, unknown faces. She needed to find Lily Potter- no Lily Evans to get her schedule for the next day. She was a bit shocked when she realized that she could walk up all the stairs in Gryffindor Tower without stopping, and without becoming out of breath. The only sign of her exertion was the annoying twinge of pain from her side. When she had gone to Hogwarts, she would never have been able to make it to her dorm without stopping, and she would have been panting when she finally collapsed on her bed. It was just another reminder of how much had changed...

She reached the seventh year girl's dorm and knocked on the door before opening it. "Lily? Are you in there?"

"Come on in, Hermione. Me, Alice, Mary, and Dorcas are in here," Lily called out. As Hermione entered the room, she could see her pack was on her bed. _Good, _she thought. _At least they haven't messed with it. _"This is Dorcas Meadows, Mary McDougal, and Alice Prewitt. This is their dorm too. Girls, this is Hermione Granger, the, uh, transfer student Dumbledore told us about. She is going to be in seventh year with us. Hermione? Are you okay?"

Hermione had taken in the girl's faces as she was introduced. Dorcas was a plump girl with blond hair and a sweet smile. Mary was solemn and dark, with long brown hair in twin braids and kind gray eyes set in a pale face.

But Hermione went pale when she saw Alice. It was the same face she had seen in the Long-Term Spell Damage Ward in Saint Mungo's Hospital. The same face she had last seen disappearing behind a curtain after giving her son a Drubble's Bubble Gum Wrapper. The face of Alice Longbottom, the face of the woman, who, along with her husband, was tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange at two others the day after Voldemort was vanquished for the first time. Vaguely she heard Lily calling out to her, and shook her head. She would have to get used to seeing dead people everywhere if she wanted to keep her cover safe. What would she say if asked? Oh, you are the parent of my good friend, yes I know you aren't married and don't have children, but you will have my friend and you see, you will never know him because you and your husband were tortured until you both became really bad parodies of the walking dead and never recognize him. But your alive and okay now, right?

"I'm fine. I just thought Alice was someone else. No big matter really. Do you have my schedule, Lily?" Hermione was severely admonishing herself for her momentary lapse in reason.

"Yes, Dumbledore gave it to me. Gosh, Hermione, you're taking every class but Divination and Muggle Studies! Why not those two, might I ask?" Lily looked interested and Dorcas had an almost comical look of shock on her face.

"Well, you see, in my third year I was taking all the classes, but I stopped Divination because my teacher was a load of rubbish who was always predicting my best friend's death, and at the end of the year I realized my schedule was too stressful so I dropped Muggle Studies. I didn't really need it anyway, but I thought it would be interesting to see how wizards look at Muggles." Hermione stopped rambling, hoping she hadn't given anything away. She blushed when she realized it had sounded like she was bragging. She really wanted these girls to like her. She had no desire to go through what she had in her first few months at Hogwarts, when she was the annoying know-it-all that no one liked.

But Lily just laughed. "I did almost the exact same thing. I dropped Muggle Studies because I'm Muggleborn. But at no time did I ever want to take Divination. It seems like a load of hogwash to me."

Dorcas smiled. "It is. But maybe it's because there haven't been any clairvoyant students since Selene- Well, I guess she's Selene Lovegood now." Hermione tucked away the information. This certainly explained plenty about Luna.

"What's your favorite class Hermione?" asked Mary quietly.

"Arithmancy," Hermione said after taking a moment to think. "I love working with numbers. But after that is Transfiguration."

Lily squealed. "Finally! No one else understands why I love Arithmancy so much. It is the only class here that is something like we would get in a Muggle school."

Hermione laughed. "Predicting the future though math is something taught at Muggle schools?" she asked with a grin.

Lily stopped laughing. "Oh. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed you were a Muggleborn. Never mind."

Hermione was torn for a moment. This was her chance to create a new image for herself, one free of the discrimination she had faced from her first day shopping at Diagon Alley. But this was Lily Evans. Harry's mum. She didn't really want to lie to her.

Hermione looked at the other girls in the room. "I am Muggleborn. I was making a joke. But that fact stays in this room, alright?"

Dorcas and Mary looked each other, while Alice sent an evaluating look at Hermione. "You are afraid you will be targeted for being a Muggleborn."

Hermione nodded. "I have good friends in pureblood circles," she lied, crossing her fingers behind her back, an old childhood habit. "They have given me an identity as one of their own. I don't want to be killed just because my parents are dentists and not Healers."

Lily's face tightened. "Things are getting that bad?"

Hermione nodded. "There are more and more deaths in the Muggle world that could only have been the Killing Curse. My parents are dead. Others are dying. I fear for England."

* * *

When Sirius, Remus, and Peter had gotten to their dorm, James had already been up there for a while. He was sitting on his bed, playing with a Snitch he had stolen all the way back in their fifth year. It was old and ragged now, barely trying to evade the Seeker's grasp.

Sirius and Remus had intended to go back up to the dorm, but had instead gone to the kitchens to get more breakfast. Sirius was already hungry and Remus was stocking up in fat for the next full moon. They had met Peter on their way back to the dorm, and had decided to spent sometime in the library planning a prank against the Slytherins instead. This particular one they were devising involved pink hair dye, vanishing spells, and some honey. Then they had met the new girl and gave her the password, eventually heading back up to their dorm to discuss the mysterious Hermione with James.

"So... Prongsie, how did your visit with the new girl in the Hospital Wing go yesterday? You still haven't told us about that yet," Sirius was grinning disarmingly, trying to get all the information out of James that he could.

"I already told you guys, Dumbledore said I can't say what happened yesterday. All I can say is that Hermione Granger is a transfer student who was orphaned recently, and she is going to complete her seventh year here," James looked irritated with Padfoot. "If you have any other questions you can ask her yourself."

"Well, Moony and I have declared open interest in the Beauteous Lady Hermione. We are competing for her hand, in a desperate battle to the-"

Remus interrupted Sirius. "Stop being so melodramatic Padfoot. We both declared dibs on her at the same time. Then we agreed to settle for whoever she agrees to go out with first. See Padfoot? That wasn't so hard." He looked at Sirius who was pouting, then his eyes widened when he saw James. "Prongs? You okay?"

"You both want to date _Hermione_?"

Padfoot and Moony looked at each other and rolled their eyes together. "Yes, Prongs. Didn't you _see_ her? She is _hot_!"

Sirius cut back in saying, "I don't see what all the fuss was last night. She seemed fine, and she wasn't limping or anything. I didn't think she looked way too skinny, either."

James still looked a little shocked, but he nodded slowly, saying, "Yeah, I guess you're right. It could have been a trick of the light, and I didn't really see any of her injuries, just the bruise of her face," He looked up at Sirius looking at him strangely. "Friday night and yesterday morning she had a bruise on her face where it looked like some one hit her. Madam Pomfrey probably took care of it."

Sirius looked pissed. "Only creeps hit girls. Do you think she's running away from a guy?" His face was darkening, and all the boys recognized the signs of Sirius going into one of his moods. Sirius, however, was remembering how she had shook a bit when he had put his arm around her. He was sure he had seen a look of fear and worry cross her face. And she had felt a little bony too...

Peter looked a little scared. "Well, we've gotta help her. She's getting to be Lily's friend apparently, so that means she's our friend too. Right James?" he said, looking around timidly, straightening a bit when he say Remus and James nodding.

"You're right, Wormtail. She's probably still adjusting, so we can help her. Keep her away from Slytherins and that sort of thing," mentioned Padfoot, the serious look still on his face.

"Yeah," James announced, with a bright look in his eye, "We gotta keep her safe. Now, last one down to lunch is a rotten egg!"

* * *

"Now that we all know each other, it's really time to head down to lunch. You skinny girls might not be hungry, but I'm starving!" Dorcas thought it was just her imagination, but she thought she saw Hermioine flinch when she said she was starving. "Lily, I know you want to see James, and Alice Prewitt, don't you dare think I don't know you fancy to pants off Frank as much as he does you. Mary, you're coming with me because I don't think I can stand staying with these lovebirds alone. Hermione, do you want to come with us?"

Hermione looked up and shook her head. "No, thanks. I don't eat, uh, lunch."

"You don't eat lunch? Sweety, you are too skinny not to try and put meat on those bones. You are coming with us whether you eat or not!" Alice was looking like a clucking mother hen, pinching, or trying to pinch Hermione's arm to access the fat on her. "Honey, you are skin and bones. Whoever was feeding you was not doing it right!"

"You can say that again," Hermione muttered under her breath. "Okay, I'll go with you. But don't expect me to eat much. Don't worry though, I usually eat really heavy during an early dinner."

"Well, okay. We are going to have to introduce you to the boys. You see, they call themselves the Marauders, the four of them. There's James, Lily's boyfriend," Dorcas was interrupted by Hermione.

"Peter, Remus, and Sirius. I know them, I just met them outside the portrait hole. Sirius gave me the password," Hermione blushed a little to herself as she thought about Sirius's arm around her. _He was handsome in his teens..._

The bitter voice inside her head finished the thought. _But then he was sent to Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit. He went crazy there, and ended up killed by his own cousin._ She shook her head, banishing the thought, vaguely noticing that she and her dorm mates where already down in the common room. When she saw the first of the boys to tumble off the stairs, her thoughts went to the last Marauder. _Remus...a man who was so torn apart by life he went gray by his twenty-third birthday. What can you expect when out of the three men who were like brothers to him one betrayed the other and his wife, allowing them to be killed and having his other best friend go after him and kill him. Of course, he thought that Sirius had betrayed James and Lily and had killed Peter. But like that makes any difference..._

"Hermione? Hermione, are you okay?" Worried topaz eyes stared out at her from behind a messy golden fringe.

"Yes, Prof- Remus, I'm okay. I was just thinking." Hermione cursed herself for her mistake for what seemed like the millionth time in the last four hours.

"Well, are you ready to head down to the Great Hall for lunch?"

"Sure. We're all going together right?"

"Well, James and Lily are going to walk as slow as the can to lose us, then snog in a broom closet until Sirius gets bored and goes and pulls them out. They will deny everything and, then yeah, we'll all eat together. Sound good?"

Hermione laughed. "Yeah, that sounds good. Are we off?"

Remus swept her a bow, a sparkle in his eye. "Yes, milady. We are off to the Great Hall!" In the corner of his eye he could see Sirius glaring at him, and cocked an eyebrow back. He had a chance earlier, and he could have taken this one. But then again, who was Remus trying to fool? No woman would want to stay with him after they found out about his 'furry little problem.'

But...maybe this girl would be different. Then again, maybe he wouldn't have to tell her...

* * *

Hermione was blushing to what felt like the burning tips of her toes, feeling all the eyes on her back when she entered the Great Hall. Remus was on one side of her and Lily was on the other, looking very thoroughly snogged, and holding hands with James. When the group sat down, a young man with a round, kind face and blond hair the exact same color as Neville's sat down next to Alice and kissed her cheek chastely.

James and Lily sat next to each other of course, with Sirius on James' other side and Frank and Alice across from them. Dorcas sat next to Alice, with Mary next to her and Peter at the end. Sitting next to Lily was Hermione, and on Hermione's left was Remus. Lunch was a simple fare, but Dorcas, James, Lily, and Alice all noticed Hermione had next to nothing on her plate, and what she did have she just moved around.

The girls had long finished, and were just waiting for Sirius and James to stop stuffing their faces when the small first year boy came up to Hermione. "You Hermione Granger? The new girl?" He had an annoying accent Hermione couldn't place.

Hermione nodded warily. "And who are you?"

"Max Vane. Professor Dumbledore wanted me to d'liver to ya," with that the short youngster went off to rejoin his friends. _Vane, Vane...who do I know whose last name is Vane... Romilda! That must have been her dad... sneaky little chocolate-cauldron giving bit of empty-headed fluff!_

Hermione looked down at the folded piece of parchment, slightly curious to what it would say. She remembered the long nights in her sixth year waiting for Harry to come back after receiving an invitation similar to the one she was holding in her hand. It had seemed like years since Dumbledore was alive. Strange... It had almost been March in her time, and here it was October. In October she and Harry and Ron had still been hopeful about the Horcrux hunt.

Sighing, she opened the letter, wondering what Dumbledore wanted with her.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_I would be delighted if you could make your way to the gargoyle statue  
that guards the entrance to my office around 7:30. I have several instruments  
that may be of use to your current situation, and several theories  
that may be of far less use.  
Best of wishes,  
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore  
PS. I love Gumdrops._

Sirius was bouncing up and down in his seat, obviously curious to the origin of the mysterious letter. "Well? Who's it from?"

Hermione giggled, then decided to have a bit of a joke on him. "It seems I already have a secret admirer. He wants me to meet him tonight." The look on Sirius' face was priceless. "He says his name is Severus Snape. Do you know him?" Now all the boys looked like they would have heart attacks at any moment.

"Snivellus?" was heard from James, Remus, and Sirius simultaneously. The name was accompanied with various expressions of disgust.

Hermione laughed again and managed to say, "No, Dumbledore wants to see me. You foolish Gryffindors are so funny!" before she broke out in laughter.

They boys pouted and teased Hermione and each other on their way back up the various passageways back to Gryffindor Tower. As for Hermione, she lost herself in the fun of being a teenager for a few hours, playing Gobstones with Sirius, Mary, and Peter and going to the library with Remus and Lily.

She was glad to be back in the Hogwarts library, the only real change being the youthful face of Madam Pince. As she wandered and picked up favorites, she still did not miss the glances Remus sent her way. She supposed she should tell him soon that she knew about his lycanthropy. It might make it easier for him to talk to her. If only Harry was here! She wished she could see his face again to assure herself he was alright. She glanced at the clock again, and stood up straight. It was 7:23 and she had only seven minutes to meet Dumbledore!

She waved a quick goodbye to Remus and Lily, then raced to the seventh floor to meet Dumbledore. She briefly paused in front of the gargoyle, and with a quick "Gumdrops" she was moving up the staircase. Hermione was gently deposited before the door to Dumbledore's office, and raised her hand to knock.

"Enter."

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**So, normal drill. Did you like it? This was sort of a filler chapter. Next chapter has a whopping 3500 words and is ginormous. Say thank you now. Now, Chapter 5 is done and bugging me to post it. Expect it by Tuesday, as I want to finish Chapter 6 today.**

**Chapter 5 is necessary, but long. The first part is just needed, but the second part gets interesting. **

**Vote! Please vote and review. If this story can make it to 50 reviews before Wednesday, I will post Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 back to back (One Tuesday the other Wednesday).**

*****Quick note: The chapter will get longer soon. By chapter 30, they are mostly 5,000 words. You will get to see how my writing evolved!*****

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed for chapter 3! Next chapter will be dedicated to whoever leaves the best review!**


	5. Classes

**Hi everyone! Here is the gigantic super long chapter I told you about! However, here's the deal: I have to go camping with family for a few days. I'm posting this now and Chapter 6 Thursday. This is because I forgot to save and lost Chapter Six. That means I had to rewrite and re-edit. Lucky me.**

**Poll Results:  
All: 10 (!)  
Snape: 1  
Sirius: 5  
Remus: 2**

**Here is Chapter 5, dedicated to pawsrule. Love all of you, but this person has reviewed all the chapters. However, I am leaning toward PRPW for the next one. See if you can guess if it's you.**

***** Chapter Edited as of 7-16-11. Not a necessary re-read, I only added about 500 words. However, if you do re-read, enjoy. *****

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Hermione stepped into the office, smiling grimly to herself at the small jolt of surprise she felt when she heard Dumbledore speak before she knocked. She should know by now Dumbledore had spies everywhere at Hogwarts. The portraits, the ghosts...

The office looked much like she remembered from the few times she had been there. However, most of the small silver instruments were not there. She could hazard a guess that most of those had been for the purpose of tracking Harry. A fire was burning merrily, and a bowl full of...gumdrops? Was it possible that there was a time when Dumbledore did not know of lemon drops? She would have to get him to try them, she thought to herself. Her smile turned of one of grudging acknowledgment to one of anticipation. The look she could see on his face...

"Ah, Miss Granger. Please take a seat," Dumbledore said merrily, eyes twinkling like mad behind his glasses. He was smiling, but his smile faltered somewhat when he saw the somewhat predatory smile of the young girl in front of him. He shivered to himself, silently wondering what the child had gone through. He had received a more complete report of Miss Granger's various injuries from Madam Pomfrey. Apparently this girl had followed her seemingly foolish friends into several dangerous adventures.

"Can I offer you some tea? Or candy?" He asked, guesturing to the bowl of gumdrops he had on the side of his desk.

"No thank you, Professor. I just had dinner." She felt completely full. And she had no desire to sip tea and make small talk while dancing around the issue at hand.

Hermione smirked at Dumbledore, waiting for his Legilimency probe and laughing quietly to herself when she saw the look of surprise on his face. "Occlumency, Miss Granger?" Her shields would not stand up to a determined Voldemort or Dumbledore, but they would alert her to a surface probe and allow her to protect her mind against someone of Snape's level.

"Legilimency, Professor Dumbledore?" _At least Occlumency is legal,_she thought to herself. "Do you check all your students, Professor?" She was looking for one of the signs of a man preparing to tell a lie, and sighed once more. "Don't bother answering, Professor. I fear I don't really want to have to turn you in to the authorities." It was blackmail if she needed to use it. She had overheard more than a few interesting and thought-provoking conversations during her stay at Malfoy Manor.

"Ah, well, Miss Granger. However delightful the chat we are having I really must insist we turn our thoughts to your present dilemma," Dumbledore replied, looking distinctly uncomfortable. It had been almost thirty years ago the last time he had been caught. If it happened again, Minerva McGonagall would chew him out and use his balls for party decorations.

"Yes, Headmaster. We have already established that this is not my place in the world. I do think I am in another dimension rather than another time. I have observed several things that might be different from one dimension to another," Hermione had gone into what Harry and Ron had called 'Lecture Mode.' "For example, have you ever tried a lemon drop?"

Dumbledore looked at her strangely, then shook his head. "No. I don't believe I have. But just the name of it sounds very bitter. Drops of lemon?"

Hermione nodded as her theory was confirmed. "In my dimension you loved lemon drops. What do you know about advanced bodily rune composition charting?"

"Not very much I am afraid. If you would please explain?" Hermione had not expected Dumbledore to know much about the charting. It was something special she had been working on after an idea she had stumbled upon in the Department of Mysteries.

"Well, basically, bodily runes composition charting is mapping out the runes that make us, us. There are twelve runes for muggles, and thirteen for wizards or witches. For us, the runes stand for Gender, Age, Heart, Mind, Attribute, Animal, Element, Magic, Birth, Resilience, Destiny, and two unidentified runes that are called Rune A and Rune B. Rune A is the same for everyone. It has been hypothesized that that rune has something to do with dimension. If I am right, if I chart my runes and your runes, Rune A is going to different for us. Will you let me try?" Hermione was almost bouncing on her seat when she finished, her face animated and her hands falling limply to her sides.

Dumbledore had an interested expression on his face, and he nodded slowly. "It couldn't hurt. And this can be an interesting chance for me to learn something new, which happens far less often than I would like. I'm all for it, Miss Granger."

Hermione's face had settled into a determined cast with only slight vulnerability visible on her stubborn chin. "Then I will need a piece of parchment, thirteen, no, twenty-six rose petals, some belladonna oil, and some powdered hawthorne root. And you will need to donate a drop of your blood. Is that okay?"

Dumbledore had already gotten up and moved to his potion stores. "Of course, Miss Granger. Here you are." He handed her the powdered root and the rose petals, reaching back into the stores for the oil.

"Stand up, prick your finger on this," Hermione waved her wand and conjured a needle, "and mix it with the oil in this," another wave of the slim wand gave birth to a bowl, "and give me the parchment."

Dumbledore did as she asked, mixing his blood with the poisonous oil. Hermione took thirteen of the rose petals, arraigning them in a star shape on the parchment. She took the small bowl with the blood from Dumbledore, and put a small drop on each of the petals. She then took her wand and with her left hand blew the hawthorne root over the parchment, waving her wand and chanting in a language Dumbledore vaguely recognized as Hebrew. When she finished, a light blue glow appeared over each of the rose petals, forming different shapes.

Hermione then conjured another bowl and needle and repeated the process on herself. This time the runes came out a pale purple, causing Hermione to smile slightly to herself. She set the paper and runes side by side, and started comparing them.

"You see, this rune for Gender is straight for you and curvy here for me. The age rune shows you are one hundred and twenty six, and that I am eighteen. Heart shows a large rune for us both, showing how compassionate we are. Mind is considerably larger for you than for me, and Attribute for us both is courage, and I speculate you were a Gryffindor, sir?"

"Uh, yes, Miss Granger. Continue."

"Animal is a Nornamise Firebird for you, as it is very similar to a phoenix. For me, well, you don't need to now that just yet. Element for you is water, and for me, fire. We both have the Magic rune, and for us they are about the same size, with mine being the smaller. Birth shows that we are both year of the dragon, and Resilience is greater for me than you. Destiny is unreadable to anyone without the inner eye. And here we have both Rune A and Rune B. And Rune A is different!" Hermione's skin was flushed and she was grinning in triumph. "This means that I really am in another dimension! Now using the differences in our runes, we can chart how far away I am and how soon I can get back!"

The following night was long and fruitful for the two scholars. It was almost six in the morning when Hermione stood and stretched. She had bags under her eyes and her side felt like it was on fire, but she was pleased with the night's work.

"So, we know by the diagram I drew of the positions in the hall, that only Harry and I are going to end up in this dimension. I saw Voldemort throw up a shield for his followers, so they will probably not have traveled anywhere Because of the differences in the runes, we know that Harry will come on the winter solstice, and that we can return on the summer solstice. That makes planning a lot easier. And because this is an alternate dimension, I can make all the changes I want. And that means changing things for the better. Will you help me if I require it?" inquired Hermione.

Dumbledore smiled back wearily. "Only if you show me how to do permanent Transfiguration, Miss Granger. And I believe classes are going to start in about three hours. See if you can grab some sleep before you must go to Charms, as I believe it was far too harmful to your health for you to go without sleep for so long Miss Granger. But it seems like you are used to it, no?"

Hermione cursed the observational power of the Headmaster. "Yes, Headmaster, I am used to going a few days without sleep. However, I do need to get dressed and reassure my dorm mates that you haven't killed me yet. Good day Professor," and with that, Hermione turned and left the old man with the half-moon glasses looking over the pages of runes and equations the two had come up with.

It was 8:25 when Hermione walked down to the Great Hall with Lily and Alice. She was eager for her first Hogwarts breakfast in a long time; however, she was also very eager to have a large cup of coffee before classes started. On the Horcrux hunt, she had missed coffee. It had been very expensive, and the trio had possessed very little money.

When the girls arrived they sat down by the Marauders and Frank. Lily waved to the boys and kissed James on the cheek very quickly, then both blushed. Alice went to hug Frank and give him a kiss, also on the cheek. Hermione sat down next to Lily and smiled at the boys.

"Can you please pass me the coffee?" she asked Sirius.

"Of course, luv. But what will I get in return?" Sirius was smirking, and it gave Hermione shivers the way it reminded her of the summer of '95. But she shook it off and glared at him.

"Me not ripping off your balls. Now hand over the coffee, Sirius," she said in a serious tone, making sure she kept her face perfectly motionless. It worked. The coffee was poured into the giant mug in her hands in less than a minute. "Thank you Sirius. I wasn't looking forward to castrating you," sighed Hermione, taking a large sip of her coffee.

"I was. But I don't think you are strong enough to catch Sirius, Hermione," said Remus. "He's a fast little bugger."

"But I have endurance. He can sprint but I can run for hours. Anyway, we need to head to Charms now," Hermione was trying to remember what she had read previously in her seventh year texts. "What are you studying?"

Lily looked up from her conversation with James. "Today's class is _Aguamenti. _Professor Flitwick is letting our class get ahead." Hermione sighed again in relief. They had formally learned that in Sixth Year. She thought back to what Harry had told her about the cave and Dumbledore's death. _That really is an important charm..._

As a group, the Marauders and the girls got up and headed to the Charms corridor on the third floor. Professor Flitwick seemed delighted to see Hermione, and gave her a spot right next to Lily, who was the resident Charms goddess. However, after she quietly mentioned she already knew the charm, Flitwick just gave her a curious glance and asked her if she would be willing to help Peter. The chubby boy was struggling, and his face was already red with his efforts.

By the end of class, Peter and two other students who had been struggling had mastered the charm and Flitwick had asked Hermione if she would be willing to tutor some of the younger students in her spare time. She agreed, and was treated to a joyful smile from the vertically challenged professor. When the bell rang, Hermione walked out of the classroom sandwiched between Sirius and Remus, both of whom were using all their charm and wit on her. The mysterious smile on the unwavering face of the delightful Miss Granger frustrated both boys to no end, as all their efforts were firmly rebuffed.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to Hogsmeade with me, Hermione, darling?" It really was strange to see a young Sirius giving her puppy dog eyes. It just strengthened her resolve to gather information for Harry. However, she wasn't quite sure he wanted to hear about his godfather flirting with her...

"Yes, Sirius. I am very sure. I already told you, no means no-" She must have said the phrase a billion times by now.

"And it never means anything else!" Remus finished for her. "Sirius, have you no manners? Hermione, dearest, you would never want to go to Hogsmeade with such a vile beast! Come with me instead!" Remus announced, flinging an arm around her shoulders which Hermione quickly shrugged off.

"And you aren't a vile beast, Moony?" asked Sirius with a dangerous glint in his eye. Remus glared back and Sirius immediately backed off. He knew he had gone to far.

"Stop it, both of you! I already have a boy back home!" Both Sirius and Remus stopped in their tracks and turned to look at her.

"Has he put a ring on your finger?" Sirius asked.

"Has he declared you his girlfriend?" Remus queried.

"Has he even kissed you yet?" Sirius finished.

Hermione blushed a bit, and tried to lie, mumbling something unintelligible under her breath.

"What was that, dear?" asked Sirius with a grin.

"No, no, and no. But that-" Hermione protested.

"Means we can pursue you. Until he declares you his girl, you are up for grabs. And believe me, Moony and I both want to grab you," this last phrase was spoken with much wiggling of the eyebrows on Padfoot's part and much blushing on Moony's.

"Sirius is right. If he hasn't said he wants to date you by now, then the Man Code says we can ask you out and you can say yes, if you want. Who is this mysterious boy, anyway?" Remus said in a low voice, still rather annoyed at Sirius. Hopefully, Hermione would see that he was the better choice.

"No one you know. And now we're late for Potions," and with an angry look on her face, Hermione swept into the dungeons, and spying Snape, took a seat by him. _That'll show those insufferable boys,_ she thought.

"Hi, Severus. How are you?" Snape was looking at her with surprise on his face.

"Fine, Hermione. You?" He was getting a little lightheaded and told himself it was from the fumes in the classroom. Of course it had nothing to do with a pretty girl only a few inches away from him, a pretty girl with a rather intoxicating smell, like old books, and clean skin, and a strange flowery scent he had noticed more than once on the hair of Lily Evans. Was she using the red-haired girl's shampoo?

"I'm okay. Well, as okay as I can be with those two ruffians bothering me!" Hermione turned to glare at the aforementioned ruffians, who were sulking and shooting nasty looks at Snape.

"Are they hurting you?" Snape asked, raw anger in his voice. "It seems like the kind of thing the Marauders would do." Hermione turned back and faced him.

"No, just teasing, but in an invasive way. But they are annoying me, so I thought I'd sit with you for Potions. Are you any good?" She smiled gently at him, as if she already knew the answer he would give.

"Yeah, I love Potions. It's my best subject. But really, Slughorn prefers Lily, 'cause she's pretty, charming, and she's also really good at Potions. The only reason he's considering me for a Potions Apprenticeship is because she wants to go into Charms. But don't follow the instructions in your book. I made some necessary edits to mine, and if you give me yours I'll do the same for you, if you want," Snape knew he was babbling, but he was forgiven by the same knowing smile.

"Sure, I'd love too. Is Professor Slughorn always this late?" She was looking around the room, and saw most of the students talking, like it was normal for the Potions Master to be late to class. It was never like this when she was taking potions under Professor Snape. The students were silent even if he wasn't in the room.

"Yeah, he can really hit the drink sometimes. My mum said he was fine, really a great man until about thirty years ago when he became a really big drinker. She said it was around the same time Professor Merrythought retired, and half the school was convinced he was desperately in love with her. His drinking got even heavier when You-Know-Who killed her, you know, right when he came to power, but got better when Dumbledore took away his Head-of-Houseship," Snape stopped suddenly, as did most of the students.

"Welcome, Welcome. I hear we have a new student, stand up please, Miss Granger!" A short, fat man with silvery-blond mop of balding hair had waddled into the classroom. He stopped in front of a bubbling cauldron full of a sickly orange potion. Hermione stood up, and introduced herself, sitting back down as quickly as she could. The lesson commenced, and Hermione found herself a new teacher in Snape. Far from the evil and scorned man of her dimension, this boy was kind and eager to explain himself to someone who had enough brain power to understand him. Hermione learned much more from a seventeen year old Snape than she had from the thirty-eight year old Snape in his six years of teaching her. Their potion turned out perfect, and the odd couple ended up walking to lunch together and parting at the entrance to the Great Hall. From there, Hermione turned to go to the Gryffindor table and Snape went to the Sytherin table, both with heads full of interesting thoughts resulting from their interesting conversation.

"What were you doing with _Snivellus_?" was the first thing that greeted Hermione when she sat down at the Gryffindor table.

She glared at Sirius, and replied, "Talking. Unlike you buffoons, he actually has something intellegent or interesting to say other than, 'Go to Hogsmeade with me!' Now stop talking or you are going to put me in a bad mood again. It took Sev thirty minutes to break me out of the last one." Hermione glanced at the food on the table, and took a small serving of chicken and an even smaller serving of potatoes. She closed her eyes quickly, then began eating.

Lily, who had been watching the two talk with sad eyes, said in an rueful tone, "Sev?"

Hermione nodded, looking at Lily with something close to pity. "Yeah, said it was what his favorite girl used to call him. He does miss her you know. He wanted me to tell you he says sorry again," Lily nodded slowly, and put her head on James' shoulder, prompting him to put an arm around her.

"Tell him I say sorry too. But I have to know he really means it before talking with him again. 'Kay?" Hermione nodded.

"What do we have after lunch?" the slight girl asked. Hermione had already memorized her schedule of course, but she thought she would ask anyway. A change of subject seemed in order.

"Well, we have a break until one, then me, you, and Lily have Ancient Runes and these slackers have Divination. After that we have a study period, then dinner. After dinner, James and Sirius will probably have detention. Is that all you're going to eat?" Remus was looking at Hermione's half-full plate, and shook his head.

"Yeah. I'm not hungry anymore. Do you want it?" Remus shook his head again, but James reached for the rest of the chicken.

"Thanks! I have a feeling you're gonna keep giving me food!" James cried theatrically.

"Stop it you big buffoon! You really are a glutton," Hermione replied with a sparkle in her eye. James really was like a mix of Harry and Ron.

"You know I love you, 'Mione-" James looked like he was going to continue, but was cut off by the girl he had recently been teasing. She had stiffened, and there was a curious expression on her face. Unconsciously, a hand rose to her neck, and she pushed her plate away.

"Don't call me that," she said softly, her voice full of pain. Hermione looked close to tears, and quickly stood up and walked, almost running from the table.

Everyone glared at James. "Hey! It isn't my fault! How was I supposed to know she doesn't like nicknames?" Lily took his hand shyly, and stroked it.

"She doesn't mind nicknames, just that one. I think it has to do with the boy she thought you were in the Hospital Wing, James." Alice looked curiously at the Chaser, then started to say something but thought better of it.

Remus stood up, calling over his shoulder, "I'm going to see if I can find her. She's going to get lost if she goes off by herself. But to his surprise, when Remus stumbled into Runes fifteen minutes late, she was already there, speaking with the teacher about the upcoming lesson.

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**Drama! Me likee! Next chapter has reconciliation and a surprise. **

**Review and Vote please! New poll will be coming up Thursday and I promise to follow what the voters choose. It has a much bigger impact on the story. In you review, please tell me if you like the old chapter lengths, or chapters around this size. Thanks!**

***** Hope you liked it. I added very little, so don't worry if you didn't re-read.*****

**Happy Holidays to all!**


	6. End to Drama

**Hi people! I'm back! Here is Chapter 6 for you, bright and shiny out of the Document Manager. Hope you enjoy and can forgive me. Seriously guys. 8 reviews? I was really disapointed. I will give the lecture after you read my wonderful chapter. *goes off and makes pouty face***

**Poll Results: (of poll that is coming down today. New one up!)  
All: 13 (!)  
Sirius: 6  
Remus: 2  
Snape: 2**

**This chapter is dedicated to Preekota Raven Potter Weasley. I love her amazingly long and awesome reviews, so I did her a favor in this chapter. You're Welcome!**

***** Chapter Edited as of 7-18-11. RE-READ! IMPORTANT! This chapter is now (hopefully) mistake free. The conversation between Hermione and Lily is now a lot longer. I inserted plenty, and took out some useless and corny things. Dear Lord, I was a horrible writer six months ago!*****

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Hermione skipped dinner, choosing instead to head up to her dorm to cry. Dear Lord. She hadn't felt like this since Halloween in her first year. Scratch that, Christmas third. When she thought Harry hated her. She shivered from the memory, then turned her thoughts away from the old days. What had happened earlier during lunch was what she needed to think about now.

It had scared her, the rush of love and want she had felt when James had said he loved her, calling her 'Mione. That had been Harry's special pet name for her, and hearing and seeing it come out of James' mouth had brought back too many memories. He looked like Harry, sounded like Harry, even acted like Harry. How was she supposed to be around him every day, and not break into tears?

After changing into her old pajamas, a tank top and a pair of shorts, Hermione climbed into her four-poster bed and burst into tears. She was still sobbing when Lily poked her head into the room before going back down to the Common Room.

Hermione had so far been able to resist the temptation to look at her scrapbook, but tonight would be the exception. It took only a few minutes for Hermione to burst into more tears, holding the carefree pictures of her, Harry, and Ron to her chest as she cried.

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Lily opened the door as quietly as she could, trying not to disturb Hermione. After just a quick peek, she saw Hermione was still crying, and staring at a photo. A leather scrapbook was open on the floor, and the picture looked as if it had been removed from the book. She was facing the wall, curled up in a ball, her back to the door. Lily closed the door as quietly as she could, and slowly walked down the stairs to the Common Room.

By the staircase to the boy's dorms, a group of armchairs and tables were filled with the miserable bodies of the Marauders. This had been their spot for as long as they could remember, and it was where Lily headed toward.

"She's still crying," Lily announced to the group. James looked upset and Remus and Sirius were alternating between worried glances at the stairs, and glares at each other, and James.

"What do you want us to do?" James moaned. He buried his head in his hands and snapped at Sirius. "Stop glaring at me! If I hadn't done it, one of you two lovebirds would have! The only other bloody nickname for Hermione is Herm, or Hermy! And those sound horrible!"

Remus' expression softened. "Your right, James. Sorry. It's just..."

"I know. But, just, you know... quit the glaring?" he asked.

"Sure. Lily, aren't girls supposed to go, and, you know...comfort each other or something?" Remus was giving his version of the puppy dog eyes to Lily.

She hesitated, saying, "Well, yes. But I really don't know her that well, and I don't-"

"Just do it, Lily! Worst thing she can do is keep on crying!" Sirius interrupted. He then unceremoniously pushed her toward the Girl's dorm, and said softly, "Please, Lily? I'll promise not to tease Snivellus for two weeks if you do this for me."

"Three," Lily bargained, arms crossed.

"Three," Sirius agreed.

Lily looked at him, judging his sincerity. "Okay. But absolutely nothing for three weeks, got it?"

"Yeah. I got it. Now go!"

Lily entered the room with trepidation, easing the door open and going over to the four poster that contained the sobbing girl. "Hermione? Are you okay?"

Hermione, startled at the sound of the girl's voice, had her wand pointed at Lily before realizing who she was talking to. "Lily?"

"Yeah. I came to see if you were okay. You just ran out of the room after Runes, and we didn't see you at dinner. James feels terrible." Lily stopped, letting her voice fade away, impressed by Hermione's reaction speed.

"I'm sorry. It's just, really, really hard to see him. Is anyone else here?" She would not be able to tell Lily everything if she had to keep her place in this dimension a secret. Still, Dumbledore had told her something. As long as no one else was around, they could talk truthfully.

"No, just me. I figured it had something to do with the whole time travel thing. Or are you from a different dimension?" Lily's voice relaxed when Hermione put her wand back on the bed, relieved not to have it pointing at her anymore.

"Different dimension. Which means I'm allowed to save you and James. And Sirius, and Dumbledore, and Alice, and Frank, and Remus, and Sev, and- well, everyone."

"Well, that's good to know. I wasn't looking forward to dying. Now tell me what's bothering you," Lily sat down on the bed and put an arm around Hermione. "Maybe start with the picture?"

"First, tell me what you see in the picture." Hermione handed the photo to Lily, turning it to show the Golden Trio in their third year, right before the Christmas break.

"I see it's winter, and you're standing with two boys, a red head and- Hermione, is that James?" Lily looked at Hermione with shocked eyes, then looked at the picture closely. "No, the boy has my eyes. Is he my- my son?" It seemed impossible. How could she have a child? But twenty years in the future was another story. She wanted children, so she guessed it seemed logical.

Lily looked at Hermione, who nodded slowly. "His name is Harry. He was sent to live with your sister after you and James were killed. He is famous because he is the only person ever to survive a Killing Curse. He's also my best friend," She stopped at the look of rage on Lily's face. "Lily? Are you okay?"

"He was sent to live with _Petunia? _My sister Tunie?" At Hermione's sad nod she almost completely lost it. "Who did that? Did Tunie love him?" She knew Petunia hated magic. How many times had she seen the awful resentment in her sister's eyes?

"Dumbledore. Sirius was put in Azkaban without a trial, so Dumbledore decided that Harry would be better off with blood relatives. And awhile ago he confirmed my suspicions of abuse. And before you ask, Voldemort killed you and James and then tried to kill Harry. But Harry survived. And he is the only one who can kill Voldemort. So I have to help him," Hermione took the picture back, setting it down on the bedspread and pulling a pillow off the bed to hug. "I'm so worried about him."

"How old is he now? And why does he have to kill Voldemort?" Lily asked, confused. If her child was the same age as Hermione, then he would be barely an adult.

"He is seventeen. And a prophecy is the reason we are in the center of a war. It said that either Harry kills Voldemort or Voldemort kills Harry." Hermione said an old pain in her eyes.

"So my son either is murdered or becomes a murderer himself," Lily remarked. "What world do you live in? That teens our age are fighting a war?" There was real anger and hopelessness in her voice.

Hermione shrugged. "The same one you live in, twenty years in the future. And I was thrust into the war at the tender age of twelve."

Lily locked eyes with Hermione, shocked. "What would have been your second year at Hogwarts? Your life was in danger in your second year of magical education?"

Hermione shook her head no, not wanting to start that conversation. "Uh, no. The first time I was in serious danger of dying was Halloween, first year. It was at the end of my first year that I was helping my best friend face Voldemort."

"Your best friend being Harry, right?" Lily asked, head reeling. "So where where when this happened? Why weren't you at Hogwarts?"

Hermione's brow wrinkled, confused. "But I was at Hogwarts, under Albus Bloody Dumbledore. Gryffindor, remember? You were in the Hospital Wing with me if I remember correctly."

"I was," Lily said. "But how could you have been in danger? Hogwarts in the safest place in the world! Even safer than Gringotts. Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald! He is the most powerful wizard since Merlin!" she exclaimed.

Hermione snorted. "I debate all those statements. I think Gringotts is safer. It has only been broken into once. Hogwarts has been invaded many times. And Dumbledore is not as powerful as you'd like the think he is," she finished cryptically.

"Who is stronger?" Lily questioned.

"Harry." Hermione said without hesitation. "I suspect he will eventually be the most powerful wizard in the world. And he is so humble, and kind. Do you know he was the one who saved me from dying the Halloween when I was almost killed? When I was twelve?"

"He saved you?" Lily asked. "From what? An exploding potion?" Privately, she thought Hermione might be exaggerating a little. True, there could be accidents at Hogwarts. But nothing more life threatening then a magical accident.

"No. He saved me from a mountain troll," Hermione said nonchalantly. "And that was the night I-" she stopped herself. She wasn't really prepared to discuss her undying love for Harry with his dead mother.

"You love him, don't you. You're in love with my son," Lily was regarding at Hermione with a strange look on her face, the look of someone making an intuitive leap that has been right in front of them the entire time. "What does Harry call you, Hermione?"

Hermione looked down and whispered, "'Mione."

"I thought so! You got so mad at James because he looks like Harry and he called you 'Mione." It was a sight, Lily Evans with a smug look on her face. Hermione had to hold back something that would have been a cross between a sob and a giggle.

"Not mad. I was just, overwhelmed," Hermione clarified.

"You haven't told me much about your relationship to my son yet, Hermione," Lily chastised. "I'm fine with it, even thought he's my future son. It will just be girl talk, no awkwardness, I promise. So, did my son propose yet? Are you going to be my daughter-in-law?" Lily stopped when Hermione finally out the sob.

"No. He doesn't love me. Well, he loves me, but like a sister. I love him, and he thinks of me as his bookworm older sister." said Hermione bitterly. "He is in love with the little sister of our other best friend, Ron. She is beautiful and athletic and everything I'm not."

Lily raised a hand to her lips, realizing her mistake. "Oh, Hermione." It was said in a near whisper, sympathetic and regretful.

"I think I just kind of broke a little when James called me 'Mione 'cause that was always his name for me. I thought I was in love with James for a moment, and that scared me. Lily, I'm so sorry!" Hermione

Lily wrapped both arms around Hermione, comforting her and saying, "I'm the one that should be sorry. And don't worry about James, I know he is really lovable, but I also know that you love Harry. So I have nothing to worry about."

Hermione squeezed the older (Younger? Did she even exist anymore?) girl, relishing the human contact. "I have some good news, at least. Harry is coming on December 21. Dumbledore and I calculated the date, so I guess you will have a chance to meet him. He's going to be so happy to see you, Lily!" The thin girl sat up smiling a bit. "I think I have to go apologize to James. Do you have a night robe I can borrow?"

Lily eventually found an old robe of Mary's that would fit Hermione. However, it only fell to the top of her knees, and arms stopped a few inches past her elbows. The robe had no tie, and Hermione didn't feel like making one so the two girls headed downstairs a few minutes later.

* * *

James, Remus, and Sirius looked up together when they heard footsteps coming from the entrance to the girl dorms. Two jaw dropped when they saw the sight that awaited them.

Remus was shocked that Lily had gotten Hermione to stop crying so fast, and he was happy that she was better now that she had talked with the red-head. But it was what she looked like that really blew him away.

She was wearing a skimpy tank top and a pair of shorts. Very short shorts. Over this delectable ensemble was a short blue robe that revealed much more than Remus was comfortable with another guy seeing. But then he took a closer look, and what he saw made him mad. Hermione eyes were red, but that was to be expected after a crying jag. But what was most noticeable about the outfit was how much it hung off her. Remus was now convinced that James had not been imagining things when he had said how skinny she was. Her legs looked like they were once lean and long, but were now just skin and bones. Her arms were sticks and Remus was sure if he saw her in a bathing suit he would also see her ribs. Hermione looked like she was a starved shadow of what she could have been, but the strange part was she didn't notice how her shoulder blades jutted out of her back the same way her collar bone jutted out of her chest. The only part of her that seemed full and normal were her breasts, which, Remus noticed, were swells of delectable flesh that looked like they were begging for attention. However, Remus was a good Catholic boy and he tore his eyes away from those neglected breasts back to her face, which was nervous and apprehensive.

"James? I'm really sorry I freaked out on you. It had to do with what happened in the Hospital Wing Saturday, and was totally not your fault. Can you forgive me?" Hermione was wringing her hands and looked really sad.

James looked as shocked as Remus felt, and nodded slowly. "Uh, yeah. Of course I forgive you. But, sorry, really. I won't call you that again if it makes you uncomfortable. Okay?" Hermione nodded, and bent down to hug him.

"Thanks, James. Uh, Remus? Can I talk to you in private for a second?" Remus shook himself out of the haze Hermione's clavicle had put him in and nodded, following her to a secluded corner of the Common Room.

"Did you need something, Hermione?" he asked her, wondering what could be so important.

"I need to tell you something. Promise me you won't freak out?" She looked excited, and he felt his curiosity growing.

"Yeah, I promise. What do you need to tell me?"

"I already know that you're a werewolf. And I also have something that can help with your transformations. It's not a cure, but it will help you control yourself," Hermione was concerned about the blank look she was getting from Remus.

"You know about my lycanthropy and haven't run away screaming yet? And you have a partial cure for me? Hermione, are you a dream or a hallucination?" Remus looked frantic and worried, pinching his arm to assure himself that he wasn't dreaming.

"No, I will not run away screaming, I have no fear of you. I have already faced down one werewolf on the full moon without the potion," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "And no, the Wolfsbane Potion is not a partial cure. It merely helps you keep your head during transformations so you won't bite anyone. You curl up on a rug as a harmless wolf. And I am not a dream nor a hallucination. I am Hermione Granger, flesh and blood teenage girl. I will have the potion for you by Friday, so you can take it for a week for the full moon Saturday. It tastes awful, but adding sugar negates it. So just hold you nose and swallow, okay?" Remus whooped and hugged Hermione, spinning her around and laughing.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you Hermione! I will be forever in your debt!"

Hermione laughed and smacked his arm, firmly telling him to set her down. Remus nodded, and walked with Hermione back to their friends, who had been watching the conversation with interest.

Sirius looked grumpy, and turned towards Remus, pissed off. "So, I think you just proved your rep as a dangerous beast, right Moony?" He remarked snidely.

Remus just laughed, doubling over when Hermione addressed the boy. "Like you're not a beast, Padfoot. I smell something, Grim, like wet dog. Do you?" The expression on the face of the Marauder was hilarious, and Lily and Mary both burst into laughter. However, the other half of the Marauders looked worried, at least until Moony winked at them while tapping his wrist, private signal for 'all is well.' Hermione continued, saying, "Well, I'm really tired. I was with Dumbledore until about six this morning. G'night everyone!" She waved at the boys and gave the girls hugs before heading back up the stairs.

James and Peter still were worried and Sirius looked dumbstruck. James ran a nervous hand through his hair before kissing Lily lightly on the lips and announcing to the group, "Well, I think we are all tired. Night!" and pulling the other boys up the stairs to the boy's dorm. When they arrived, the boys all collapsed on Peter's bed. They didn't know what or who had been done in Sirius' bed, Remus probably had chocolate somewhere, and James' was always messy. So Peter's perfectly made bed it was.

When everyone had gotten comfortable, James looked directly at Moony, saying, "What happened? How does Hermione know Sirius is an Animagus?" James had a sneaking suspicion she had known them years in the future. This was really starting to freak him out.

Moony just laughed, responding, "Really? I have no clue. But she knows that I'm a werewolf, and she has a potion that will make my transformations easier. I think she knows what we do on the full moon. I have no clue to how she knows, but I'm sure she won't turn us in."

James scowled, echoing Padfoot's expression. "I think I know how she knows. If I am guessing correctly she could get in major trouble with Dumbledore for this. Do you guys want to turn her in?" Instantly he was met with three angry expressions.

Padfoot was the one who started tearing into James first. "No! We promised to protect her. Who cares if she knows we're Animagi! She's not gonna turn us in!"

Wormtail was nodding, agreeing with Sirius. "She is a really nice girl. Professor Flitwick told me she is going to have a tutoring group after the way she helped me in class. He told me he is going to put students who are struggling in Charms in it, so she can help them. I'm joining, and Sirius, please don't be mad but Flitwick is making Regulus join, with some of his Slytherin friends that are failing. He is convinced she can help them."

Sirius got a furious look in his eye. "I would talk to my dear brother, but if I did he would go out of his was to make her life miserable. So Peter, it's going to fall to you to make sure she is safe during her study groups. It would look strange for James or I to be studying, and Remus is a perfect student. You are the only one who can do this. Okay?" He was looking directly at Peter, waiting until the shy boy nodded with a look of feeble confidence.

The boy ended up talking late into the night, falling into their own beds sometime after midnight.

* * *

Lily and Alice walked up the stairs together, and their topic of conversation was Hermione. Alice was worried sick about 'the poor girl' and Lily had nothing to say that would soothe the blonde mother hen.

"Lily? Did you see the poor thing? Her joints were visible and you could count the number of bones that girl has on her body. And we made her skip dinner! Lily-"

"Alice, I know. And Hermione promised me should would eat more," Lily said, crossing her fingers at the lie. "We just have to give her time to adjust to Hogwarts. Now it is time for us to finish walking up these stairs of death and go to bed so we will be ready for Defense tomorrow. Professor Johnson said he had something special to show us, so we need to be rested. Okay?"

Alice smiled wearily and agreed with Lily. It wasn't long before all the beds in the Seventh Year Girl's Dorm were all occupied by sleeping girls.

* * *

The next morning started out much the same as the first, with a bit more awkwardness. Both Hermione and James had apologized to each other again, and breakfast commenced without many notable incidents. (Sirius and James having a mock sword fight with baguettes, Remus giving impersonations of various teachers, Peter putting an elbow in a bowl of butter when he saw Dorcas wink at him)

However, as they were leaving the Great Hall, Professor Flitwick, running on his short little legs, came up to Hermione and handed her a list of students who needed a tutor. After a quick discussion, they agreed the tutoring sessions would meet in the Library on Thursday after classes. Hermione, Lily, and Remus where very excited about the Defense Against the Dark Arts class that was fast approaching, as Professor Johnson had promised them a surprise interactive lesson that would involve a magical creature. The entire class was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the teacher, and their expectations were confirmed when Professor Johnson breezed into class, a boyish grin on his face.

"Okay everyone, books away and follow me! Last class I said you would have a special surprise. That surprise is... a boggart!"

* * *

**So, today's question is... what do you guys think her boggart will be? (And someone had a question- I use Harry Potter Lexicon to make sure all the locations for the classrooms and towers is right- the same way it is in the books.)**

**Okay lecture time: I am starting to slack off on this story. No reviews means no motivation. I only have about 780 words of it written right now. So I am officially sad. Reviews give me inspiration! Those 8 reviewers gave the the speed I needed to write this really fast and edit it too. So please Review!**

***** I hope those of you who re-read this enjoyed the extended conversation between Hermione and Lily. Can you tell me? Please? Thanks!*****

**Vote! There is a new poll up on my page.**


	7. Boggarts and Bad Dreams

**Merry Christmas! Hope your holiday was enjoyable, and that this will make your Monday brighter. Good news- I got a laptop for Christmas, so expect more fanfiction! Yay! My laptop is red, named Maggie, and is the most perfect computer in the world of HP minis. I think I'm in love.**

**Thank you all for all your reviews! 24 for one chapter! If you can help me make it to one hundred, I will scream, hop up and down, then do something special for you lot! I love you all!**

**Poll:  
Do every day till Hogsmeade, the skip around till December: 12  
Do skip around, even when Harry comes: 5  
Do every day until June: 1**

**Hope you like it, and this chapter is dedicated to: aligroo! Because elle est française! Ma mere est française, et mon père est American. J'adore la France, surtout Le Havre et Paris. Ma famille habite au Havre. ***Thanks to my amazing French cousin Gwen for making sure I didn't make a fool out of myself to my French readers. If you want to read her story, check out my profile. The only story in French on my fav's is her's.*****

**That is the extent on my writing skills in French, with out the little button for the accents. And no, I did not use a translator. I used my French lessons and completed some French homework. Enjoy the chapter!**

***** Chapter Edited as of 7-22-11. Not much added, but some. Enjoy. *****

* * *

'A boggart. Are you _freakin'_ kidding me?' was the first thing that ran through Hermione's head. 'Didn't they do them during third year?' was the second. However the teacher was still talking so Hermione forced herself to pay attention. It was her specialty after all.

"Now, most of you remember doing this in your third year, am I correct?" Professor Johnson smiled as the class nodded. "Okay, so today each of you are going to get a chance to go up against the boggart, and then you are going to write a report on how your boggart did or did not change, and why this is, due next Tuesday. This is going to go in your file, as part of the testing if you want to go into the Healer psyche program. Got it?" Hermione felt her heart sink. It seemed like only a few months ago that she took the exams for third year and watched as her boggart turned into Professor McGonagall telling her she had failed. Now she wondered what it would be. Harry dead? Voldemort? Bellatrix? Her parents? Ron?

The Defense Professor for the current year was annoying, and arrogant, vaguely reminding Hermione of Lockhart. At least he wasn't as incompetent as the wanker she had been forced to endure in her second year. God she had been blind when she was thirteen...

In a daze Hermione followed the rest of the class to Professor Sinestra's office, where the boggart was residing in a cabinet. She watched as each of her fellow students was called up. Unsurprisingly, Remus' boggart was a full moon, and he changed it into a balloon like he had done in her third year. Sirius' boggart was only there for a few seconds, and it was another Sirius, but one with blood on his hands. James' boggart was Lily's death; Lily's, James' death. Hermione had made sure she was last, as she was still trying to figure out what hers would be. Before she could really accept it, she was in front of a giant spider that changed into two familiar forms.

One was Harry, and the other was Ginny. Harry looked directly at her. "Hey 'Mione. I just wanted to let you know, I just proposed to Ginny. Don't take this the wrong way, but we don't want you to be in the wedding party. I mean, who would want to stand next to a ugly, buck-toothed, bushy-haired, bookworm like you?" he said, laughing cruelly. Ginny just giggled, then wound her arms around his neck, kissing him. Hermione just stared at the two of them, wand held in a limp grip while her classmates watched with blatant curiosity.

Rapidly the scene changed, and this time Voldemort was watching as Bellatrix was torturing Harry. Hermione sank to her knees as Harry screamed, dying with Ginny's name on his lips.

The rest of the class watched in horror as Harry was tortured and the woman who had killed him walked up to Hermione. "Does the wittle baby luuve the great Harry Potter? Is she scaaared of me? Does she think I'm gonna lock her up and starve her and torture her? Or is she scared that the great Harry Potter just won't care?" Bellatrix cooed her her baby voice, reaching a hand out to touch Hermione's cheek.

Voldemort looked at his Death Eater and smiled thinly. "You can have her, pet. I have no further use for the mudblood. Kill her if you please." This snapped the Professor out of the spell bound trance the boggart had put him in, and stepped in front of Hermione, who was on the floor shaking with sobs.

"Riddikulus!" Professor Johnson shouted, banishing the boggart. "Go back to the classroom. Now!" he shouted to the rest of the students. He turned to the girl on floor, waving James and Lily over before they left the room. "Do you have any reasons why she reacted like this? Why was she scared of the two of you being together?" He had been told by Dumbledore that Lily and James could answer most questions about Hermione. He had only seen one reaction like this to a boggart, and that was with an Azkaban survivor. What had this girl gone through at the hands of that woman? Or at the hands of James?

The couple looked at each other, then at Hermione. "We need to get her to the Hospital Wing, sir. Could we talk with you later?" Lily was crouching by Hermione as James spoke, petting the girl's unmanageable hair. With a quick nod from the Professor, James bent down and picked the frail girl up to carry her to the Hospital Wing.

Hermione had stopped crying, and was now clinging to James as if he was Harry, arms around his neck, and eyes closed, trusting him completely and doing her best to ignore the shocked whispers around her.

"I heard she's in love with him!"

"No way, he's with Lily-"

"Did you see her boggart? I heard from Alex who heard from-"

"Look! Doesn't it look like there's something going on between them?"

"And Evans is just following them, she has to know if something's happening-"

"No she doesn't. I mean, if she really likes she'd be blind-"

"If you don't clear the hallway in the next ten seconds, I will make it my life's work to prank you until you end up in St. Mungos."

"You heard him. Move. I'm a prefect, and as such, I am ordering you to hurry to your next class."

"Thanks, Moony, Padfoot."

"No problem, Prongs."

"Later, Prongsie!"

* * *

Madam Pomfrey was very angry that Hermione had strained herself again, so she sedated her with a few potions and marched off to give Professor Johnson an ear chewing. When she left, Hermione, James, and Lily were the only ones left in the Hospital Wing.

James ran a tired hand through his already messy hair and winced when Lily slapped it. "Sorry, babe. So, Hermione, what the heck was that all about?" Lily smacked him again and he rubbed his shoulder pouting pathetically. Hermione had seen Harry do the exact same thing on the many occasions that she had slapped him playfully. Remus had been right, that day in Grimmauld Place, in the summer before her fifth year. She and Harry had often acted much like Lily and James.

"That was about... my greatest fear. Isn't that what a boggart does?" Hermione started giggling hysterically. "I'm so pathetic. My greatest fear is losing a man who doesn't even love me." Lily sat down on the side of Hermione's cot.

"All the seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins saw you collapse. By lunch the entire school will know. We need to get a story together, that way we don't blow your cover. 'Kay?" Hermione nodded, sitting up and getting a serious look on her face.

"Well, we can just say that it was my best friend, James' cousin. No one likes seeing their best friend being tortured to death, right?" Hermione suggested. "By December they will all know it was Harry. And Harry could be James' twin. So it would make sense to suggest that they are family now."

James nodded. "You said he looks like me?" he asked, hesitantly.

"He could be your son," Hermione replied solemnly, before breaking into a smile.

Laughing, James nodded. "I spread that story around, and send an owl to my parents. Later." With a kiss on the cheek to Hermione and a kiss on the lips to Lily, James left the Hospital Wing.

Lily and Hermione talked long into second period, waiting for Hermione to be judged well enough to be released. Madam Pomfrey gave Hermione permission to leave for lunch, as long as she promised not to exert herself. After a final check of Hermione's wounds, she was formally released. She and Lily left as soon as they could, glad to be free of the sterile and starched Hospital Wing.

"Is everything alright, Lily?" Hermione asked. She had noticed Lily staring at her when she removed her shirt so Madam Pomfrey could check her wound. Hermione was well aware that she looked horrible under her robes, skin broken by new injuries, old scars, and sharp bones.

"So... Hermione. Are you okay? Like, you don't have an eating disorder, do you?" Lily had waited until the two of them were alone to ask the question she had been wondering about for a few days. She had noticed the small girl rarely ate more than a cup of coffee in the morning, and was worried. And then she had seen the painfully visible ribs and hipbones.

Hermione looked at Lily, then started laughing. "No, Lily. It's just, I can't eat much for a while. Did you have to watch the video on the Holocaust when you were in the sixth grade? And you saw how the survivors would be starving and eat too much and die, right after they were liberated?" Lily nodded wondering where she was going with this. Was Hermione- no. That was impossible. Or was it? "Well, in my dimension, right before I came here, I was a prisoner. I was being kept in a dudgeon, being fed only once or twice every two days. I was tortured repeatedly, and probably went a little crazy," Hermione was looking at the floor speaking a low voice that sounded like she was almost crying. "Madam Pomfrey warned me about eating too much, saying I could get sick. I don't really mind, you know, 'cause I'm used to being hungry. So I have to eat a little bit more everyday until my stomach is big enough for me to eat regular meals," Hermione finished, looking up at Lily, as if she was scared the older girl might draw away from her in horror. Instead, Lily stopped and gave Hermione a big hug.

"Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me that. It means a lot to me that you can trust me so quickly and so easily after what you've been through," Lily whispered to Hermione. Releasing the girl, she linked arms with her and said in a normal voice, "Well, I'm sure the boys are worried about you. We need to get to lunch so you can eat something, okay?"

Hermione had a huge smile on her face. "Okay. But you really have to tell Sirius and Remus that I'm not interested. They are getting a bit annoying."

The girls walked the rest of the way to the Great Hall, laughing and enjoying each others company. However, the two stopped when the reached the doors to the Great Hall. "Are you ready, Hermione?" asked Lily. They had mere seconds before the gossip mill would start to run for real. Lunch was the perfect time for students to spread the word about the crazy transfer student who had a freaky boggart.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Hermione replied, pushing open the huge oak doors and stepping into the room. Instantly, all the nose ceased as the students watched the girl walk to her table, cheeks flaming. Hermione slid in next to Mary, who patted her arm. She looked up to see Sirius, Remus, and Peter looking at her like she might explode at any second. "Uh... hi guys," she said, trying to pretend that nothing had happened.

Remus caught on, smiling and saying, 'Hi, Hermione. Do you need the Astronomy homework?"

After the ice broke, lunch continued, with the stubborn group of Gryffindors ignoring the rest of the gossiping students. Lily and Alice noticed that Hermione put a slightly larger serving of Shepard's Pie on her plate, as well as vegetables and dessert, eating most of it. By the time the group was with the rest of the Gryffindor sixth and fifth years in the Common Room during their break, they were laughing like they had been friends since Preschool.

Dorcas was finishing a funny story when the obnoxious group of giggling girls came over to the seventh years. "And then, my cousin started leaping around like crazy with little bat-"

The first girl cleared her throat loudly, asking with an annoying simper, "Your Hermione Granger, right?" Then, without waiting for an answer, she continued, her two friends snickering in the background. "How come your sitting with James and Lily, if you're in love with James?" Turning to Lily, the girl continued. "And how come you're letting her sit with you if you know she's been snogging James, Sirius, and Remus behind your back? _I _wouldn't let that slut sit with _my_ boyfriend." Tapping her foot, the girl waited for an answer.

Hermione stared at the girl, taking in her features and trying to place her. She had damaged blond hair, heavily tanned skin, way too much make-up, and a uniform that seemed to be about two sizes to small. She reminded Hermione of Rita Skeeter, and from what she knew about the reporter, she would guess that this was Amanda Skeeter, the tabloid writer's younger sister.

Meanwhile, the boys had leap to Hermione's defense. "She is not snogging us! We are just friends!"

"I'm dating Lily! I would never cheat on her!"

"We aren't anything but friends!"

Hermione stopped them with an upraised hand. She walked over to the heavily made-up girl and leaned down close. "I am going to say this only once. I am not a slut. I am not doing anything with James Potter, Sirius Black, or Remus Lupin. I am Lily's friend, and she is mine. Think about the consequences before you spread rumors. For example I heard something about you and a certain Michael Anderson, you know, the one who is dating Chrissy Stevens," Hermione paused a moment to thank God that she had a phenomenal memory. She had heard Sirius and Remus discussing their old class mates in Grimmauld Place a while ago, and this girl had come up many times. Hermione saw her guess was right, as she watched the girl go pale. Bingo. "I am sure Chrissy wouldn't like to hear about that at all, do you? Anyway, get it into your minuscule head that I am someone to be left alone. If you need something to talk about, talk about my boyfriend, who is one of the most powerful wizards in the world, close or surpassing Dumbledore. I am sure he would be very angry about your allegations toward me. So take your twittering friends elsewhere and shut. Your. Mouth. Silencio! Rictusempra!" Hermione had done the spell before, as revenge against Marietta. Now Amanda's face read, _Gossip_. She stepped away from the girls, and returned to her seat by the fire. The three girls had started to scream silently when Hermione fixed them with her fearful death glare. "I thought I told you to leave. Unless you want more face decorations, I suggest you obey me," and as soon as she finished the girls ran out of the Common Room.

The Marauders were staring at Hermione in awe. "How the hell did you do that?"

She looked down and blushed. "What?"

"Tell them off like that. You were brilliant!"

"Practice, I guess. I know her older sister, Rita, and we had an unpleasant experience. My two best friends are boys, and my first date was with an international Quidditch star. A reporter did a nasty bit about us, and I got used to fending of stupid, pre-pubescent girls who had nothing better to do than gossip. I perfected my death glare in second year, when I realized I was stuck with two trouble making boys."

The conversation continued into dinner, and back into the Common Room for homework. Of course, Hermione finished first, then helped Peter with his. By the time Hermione went up to bed, she had almost forgotten her wretched day.

* * *

_She was back in Malfoy Manor. She was trapped! It had all been just a dream, meeting Lily and James. Harry and not come to rescue her. The food she had eaten in the Great Hall was nothing more than a memory, and a false one at that. Soon Bellatrix would come and subject her to whatever torture she had recently devised._

_She heard the cell next to her open, and turned her head so she would have a partal view of whoever would be the next victim of the crazy Death Eater. Her eyes caught a head full of dark hair, and a lithe body. Probably someone she knew during her Hogwart's days. _

_Hermione could feel the cold emptiness that was hunger settle in her abdomen. She was empty, running on fumes as her dad would have said. _

_Her cell door clanged open and Hermione was brutally transferred from her cell to the large ballroom that was the Death Eater center of worship. On the raised dais was a large, ornate throne, where the royal arse of Voldieshorts resided when he was feeling regal. Today he was, and was lounging on the grandiose chair, obviously thinking he looked the height of aristocracy. He didn't, but Hermione figured all of his followers were to scared of him to tell him he looked stupid. _

_Voldemort's head whipped in her direction, red eyes glaring into hers. "Dare you think that in my presence?" Hermione noticed he stopped the lounging at sat up properly. _

_"Yes, Tom. I'm not-" _

_His eyes were feral, almost glowing with rage. "DON'T CALL ME THAT!" However, the half-blood calmed himself, probably through use of Occulomency, noted the girl. Voldemort's eyes showed pure pleasure as he smiled down at her. She shivered, and his next words made her blood run cold. "I will take great pleasure in seeing you break when I kill your little hero. Harry Potter is here, at my humble abode. He, and the other blood traitors were here, but those worms escaped. However Potter was almost killed trying to get in here, and I am going to, simply, finish the job for him." Hermione heard herself screaming as Harry was roughly forced to kneel beside her. He had a new scar, cutting his right eyebrow. He looked just as handsome as ever, and in spite of herself Hermione felt her heart skip a beat._

_"Hermione, are you okay, I was trying to re-"_

_"Shut up, boy! Or I'll kill the mudblood. Bella, please take the girl away from my feet, she is stinking up the air." _

_The following scene played out exactly as it had in real life, until Hermione was running up to Voldemort, who was holding the silver knife, and she could feel it miss her, and enter Harry's chest and she was screaming again- someone was shouting her name and shaking her-_

"Hermione! Hermione, wake up!"

Groggily, Hermione sat up, and realized she had been dreaming. "What's happening?"

Lily was bending over her, curtains of dark red hair falling into Hermione's face. "You were screaming in your sleep, Hermione. Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yeah, you can say that again. Thanks for waking me up," Hermione looked around the room and saw that she had woken the other girls up. "Sorry. You can go back to sleep." Hermione got out of bed and stretched. "Thanks, Lily," she said, walking over to her bag. She removed a scrap of cloth, transfiguring it into a pair of shorts and a sports bra. "I'm going out for a run. Don't think I'll be able to fall asleep again."

Lily nodded wearily, going back to her bed and pulling the curtains around it. "Okay. Be safe." By the time Hermione left the room, all the other girls were asleep. Her run was long and satisfying, allowing her to think as she pounded the soil around the lake with her feet. Her reasoning was that she had seen Harry, Voldemort, and Bellatrix all in one day, causing her to have a nightmare about what could have happened.

On her way back into the castle, Hermione was almost caught by Filch, but ducked into a secret passage behind a tapestry. It took her longer than she would have liked to get back to the Common Room, and by the time she got ready for the day, she was already late.

It was at lunch that she remembered she had to tutor after classes. As soon as Herbology was over, she raced to the Library to prepare. She had glanced at the list Professor Flitwick had given her, and was pleased to find that several future Death Eaters were on it. It would be her own personal challenge to try and stop them from joining Voldemort.

However, there was one conflict. Should she stop Regulus from becoming a Death Eater, possibly forcing Tom to make a different Horcrux, or should she let the time line play out the way it should?

* * *

**So, was it good? Probably not my best chapter, but I thought it was okay. Hope you guys liked it!**

**Vote and Review! Try to help me make it to 100!**

***** Hope you enjoyed the differences. Not many, but a few. Please review, and let me know if you could spot the changes. (and thanks to all who got me to 100 reviews. Now, it's at 800. You guys rock.)*****


	8. Tutoring

**Holy Freakn' Cow! You guys are the bestest readers ever! I swear, I adore and love each and every one of you. You make me want to write and write and write, which I did over this fine week. To thank you for helping me reach 100 reviews, I made this chapter extra long. Happy New Year!**

**Good news! Only around 3 or 4 more chapters till Harry arrives! For the poll, every day till Hogsmeade then skip around to December won. New poll is up and will determine how many more chapters till Harry! (And believe me, the only reason that heart stopping hunk hasn't killed me yet is because only I can get him to his Mione. He is very eager to make an appearance)**

**Chapter is dedicated to HarmonyLover for getting me to 100. I thank you so much.**

**Enjoy! I did something different with this chapter, so see how you like it.**

***** Chapter Edited as of 8-25-11. Not much added at all. I get very corny at the end, so be warned. *****

* * *

Hermione collapsed in a chair in the Common Room, so exhausted she barely minded the looks Sirius and Remus sent her.(Adoring and curious at the same time: in one word- annoying) It was almost Saturday, and she was looking forward to being back in Hogsmeade. Thoughts of sugar quills were making her mouth water as she thought of the delectable candy delights. Her parents would roll in their graves if they could see the amount of candy she would be buying at Honeydukes. It had been too long since she had real candy.

Her tired dreaming was interrupted by the arrival of Lily. She sat down next to Hermione, crossing her legs neatly, reminding Hermione of herself in her- well, in all her years at Hogwarts. "How was the tutoring session, Hermione? Did they give you any trouble?" By the tone of Lily's voice, it was clear that she expected trouble from the group Hermione had spent her evening helping.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. But once they realized I knew what I was talking about, they paid attention and did a great job. Peter is now one week ahead for Charms, and all the fifth and sixth years Professor Flitwick asked me to help are now up to date, close to it, or a little ahead. So for a night's work, that's not bad, really."

Lily stared at Hermione, a little awed. "All of them?"

Hermione looked confused, an expression not often seen on her face, at least not since she had first learned about the secret world of wizards. "Yeah, all of them. Some took more work than others, but all of them are at least at an Acceptable for their work tonight. I hope Professor Flitwick will be happy."

"Hermione, I know a lot of these boys. And I know some of them haven't done their homework since forth year. Like... Crabbe. Or Goyle. They are seventh years and are stupider than a pile of rocks!"

Hermione shook her head. "No, they're not. They've probably been told that all their lives, mainly because the wizarding world has no clue about disorders like dyslexia. Having dyslexia in the wizarding world is worse because magic messes with their brains and makes them even more confused. Since they could not tell left from right at a young age, they were labeled as stupid, and probably never tired hard in school since they truly believed that they were 'stupider than a pile of rocks.' However, if you know how to teach a student with dyslexia they can learn quickly, and remember what they learn."

Lily looked slightly embarrassed at her earlier assumptions. "How did you know they are dyslexic?"

Hermione was pleased that Lily was able to accept differences in opinion. It only raised her own opinion of the woman had died for her son. "Well, not all of them are dyslexic. Some just are a little slow, like Peter. They just need one on one practice. But I realized Crabbe and Goyle were dyslexic when I asked them to read. That's really the biggest problem for them. I know how to help a dyslexic person because I used to tutor my neighbor, who was dyslexic. So I just adapted my teaching methods, and they learned as much as they could in one night."

The tutoring session had several Slytherins, as well as two Gryffindors and a few Hufflepuffs. Regulus Black was there, Crabbe, Goyle, a few of the younger Slytherin boys, and one girl who Hermione was sure was Pansy's mother. Peter was there of course, as well as a boy who looked suspiciously like a third year Ravenclaw she had known in her dimension. Hufflepuffs were an assorted group, one that included Amanda Flecy, who was dating Thomas Abbot. Hermione had to hold back a sob when she realized that they had died in her dimension. The other Hufflepuffs were not related to anyone Hermione could place.

As soon as classes were over, Hermione and Peter had hurried over to the Library to set up. Peter was nervous, and told Hermione that the other Marauders would hold him responsible if she got hurt. She was a little touched by the protectiveness of the boys, but laughed it off, as to not worry Peter. The first students trickled in around the time Professor Flitwick had told them to be there, but the Slytherins were conspicuously absent until about ten minutes after she started. They came in as a group, insolent and disrespectful until they had seen Peter perform the spell he had been working on perfectly on the first try. Then they had started to pay attention, and when Hermione had coached Goyle and Crabbe to the point of almost perfection on the previous day's lesson, they had started a sort of hero worship mixed with surprise at her willingness to help them.

The Hufflepuffs only needed a little one on one work, and Hermione only quickly went over the week's lessons with them until they were ahead. She had Peter and the other Gryffindor boy do their homework with the Hufflepuffs and Regulus Black, who sneered at her but followed her instructions. She worked harder with the other Slytherins, finally sending Pansy's mother to the Hufflepuff group.

By the end of the night she was tired and Peter was elated. The tutoring session had gone great and was already planning to meet the next week. Hermione wished she could be in the room when Professor Flitwick saw Crabbe and Goyle turn in the homework they had been neglecting for three years. She was so happy she had remembered to bring the expensive Diction-Quills she had in her bag, and had quickly distributed them to the students in need.

That night Hermione almost fell into bed, a large smile on her face, and fell asleep quickly. Her dreams were of happier times, the era of peace and happiness that had only been lightly brushed by fear of Voldemort.

Although her dream shifted, reflecting different parts of her life, the only one she would remember was the happiest. In the dream, it was their fourth year, and she was watching with Harry by her side as the three school champions led the dance, eagerly waiting for the opportunity to dance in his arms. When the time came, the twirled together, and he planted a light kiss on her lips.

Hermione woke, her smiled faded as she remembered the reality of the Yule ball. The only part of the dream that had been real was the smile on Harry's face when he saw her. _But that was before- before the winds of time stirred the embers of war and pushed us to our limit. Before fear for our very lives was normal and before I realized I never had a chance with Harry. _She clenched her eyes shut and brushed the thought from her mind, turned to her other side and made herself go back to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke up with a feeling of excitement. The next day was the Hogsmeade trip, and was her last chance until November to get what she needed for her plans. Some would need to wait until Christmas, but most could be accomplished without Harry.

Hermione's good mood lasted until breakfast, where she was reminded of the speed and viciousness of the Hogwart's gossip mill. As she walked to her seat, Hermione felt her blush begin to spread across her face, a direct result of the whispers and points that followed her to the table. Her pending bad mood was decided when she heard Sirius whisper to Remus that her blush was cute, then escalated when Remus agreed.

She put her head on the table, scooting over when Lily nudged her shoulder. "Why, in the name of Merlin's saggy right-"

Lily clamped a hand down on Hermione's mouth. "Honey, if you want to make that oath, do it away from Sirius and James. Trust me."

Hermione looked at the girl, then looked at the two boys in question, then huffed. "Fine. Then why in the name of Baby Jesus do classes have to start at nine? Sirius hand me the coffee, Remus, the toast. Thanks," Hermione put a lot on her plate, well for her anyway. Dipping the toast in the coffee was something her mother had done every day for breakfast as for as long as Hermione could remember. It was her way of staying close to her mother during the long Hogwart's semesters.

The happiness of that memory was marred when Hermione remembered that in her time line her parents didn't even know they had a daughter. If they were alive, that was. If they hadn't been found.

She followed her friends to Transfiguration, eager to see how McGonagall would react to her. She was certain that Dumbledore had snooped through her bag when she saw that the ward were down on her trunk. She was hoping that McGonagall had not helped him, and hoped that she would be able to tell by the woman's reaction toward her. She was also looking forward to seeing Sirius in Transfiguration, mainly because he had told the Golden Trio that he in the past he had a 'thing' for McGonagall. He had flirted with her, and she had blushed and given him detention.

As she walked into the classroom, she was surprised to see Crabbe and Goyle approach her. Crabbe was the first one that spoke. "Hermione? We want to say thank you. Professor Flitwick was really happy when we passed the test today. It was 'cause you helped us. And Reggie told us how much the quills cost, so we wanted to give you the money for 'em." Crabbe was smiling proudly at his speech, and Golye gave her a small sack of Galleons.

"Thank you. It's wonderful you did so good on the test! Great job!" Both boys smiled and Golye even blushed a bit. They all went to their seats where Hermione saw the only one left was next to Remus. Great.

The lesson was interesting, and for once was not something Hermione had previously studied. They were working on conjuring furniture, and they were asked to make a chair and coffee table by the end of the class period. Hermione made a white squishy chair and a nice glass coffee table. The next person to manage it was James, who made a florescent orange chair and a green table, with orange detail work. Sirius, Lily, and Remus finished around the same time, and Hermione helped Peter while Lily helped Dorcas. Mary and Dorcas made normal furniture, but Peter's chair was bit uneven. Soon after, Alice and Frank levitated the chairs into a circle, and Hermione conjured foot rests for them all. James and Sirius provided their hidden stashes of candy, and Lily replicated it. Hermione made goblets, and a vase for flowers, which Remus provided with a flourish.

The rest of class had stopped their work to watch the Gryffindors start a party in Transfiguration. McGonagall walked over, and they watched with bated breath to see if they would punish them. Instead, she gave them points for excellent Transfiguration.

After Transfiguration, the Gryffindors had History of Magic, which was still taught by Professor Binns, who was already dead. Hermione was happy to find that this class was also with the Slytherins, and she took her seat next to Severus.

"Hi!" Hermione was a bit out of breath from the trek from Transfiguration to History of Magic. One of the secret passages James and Sirius had shown her required running up a steep slope, but it cut the time from eight minutes to five.

"Hi," Snape said, smiling at her. "Are you okay?" His skin seemed even sallower than usually, and his eyes had bags under them. Hermione could see the way his hands shook with fatigue, and the slight sheen of his eyes that hold her that he was worried.

"Yeah, just a bit out of breath. How's life treating you?" Hermione was looking at him with genuine curiosity, which surprised Snape. Surprised him so much, he decided to forgo the usual 'fine' or the truth.

"Not so good. I have to make a big di-" He mentally cursed as Professor Binns floated in through the blackboard, starting the class. He growled quietly, grabbing a spare piece of parchment to write a note on.

_I have to make a major decision soon. One that could change my entire life, for better or worse. But the catch is that if I say no, I will be in a lot of trouble. And I really want to say no._

He looked up to pass it to Hermione and saw her taking notes. The only other people awake in the class was Lily, who was also taking notes. Even Remus was not paying attention, playing a wizarding version of the game Hangman. Severus groaned again, resisting the temptation to just throw the note away. Instead he put it on the corner of Hermione's desk, then put his head down to sleep the class away. However, he instantly woke when he saw Hermione put the piece of parchment on his desk.

_Dumbledore could protect you. I'm not his biggest fan but he is powerful. If you say no, can you stay at Hogwarts after graduation and be protected? I think I know what the big decision is, and I know it is not the right choice and you are not really like that. HE IS WRONG! When you called Lily Evans a mudblood you felt bad about it, right? And you're my friend even though I am a muggleborn. _

She was a muggleborn? A mudblood? There was no way that was possible. The rumor going around the school right now was that she had to come from a very powerful wizarding family to have so much power.

And more importantly: How in the world did she know so much? Whatever her methods were, she had some valid points, points he needed to discuss with her as soon as possible.

_You're right. Can we find a time to talk, just the two of us about this? I don't think you understand how big of a mess I'm in, Hermione._

It was only a few seconds before she noticed the parchment and scribbled a reply in her perfect handwriting.

_How about Hogsmeade? We can meet at the Three Broomsticks and talk, with no suspicion. And I think I do understand your situation, Sev. Trust me._

And as much as he was loathe to admit it, he did trust her. He felt as if he could trust her with his life.

_OK. Meet me at the gates at 10?_

_Fine with me. Now pay attention if you want to pass the test next Friday. I'm not going to lend you my notes._

Severus grimaced, then reluctantly turned his attention back to Professor Binns. It was going to a long hour and a half.

* * *

That night, Hermione went up to bed early, getting into what she privately called her relaxing mode. She took a long bath, got in her pajamas, lit a sage and green tea candle, and a vanilla candle, and got out her journal.

She had decided she would continue keeping a journal, then when Harry came give him an edited version so he would be up to date. She wrote late into the night, working on it as if she was writing a letter to Harry, the same way she had been doing since third year, when she had been so lonely after that Christmas.

_Dear Harry,_

_You would not believe what has happened. Well, actually you would believe but only because I was the one who told it to you. I'm trapped in an alternate dimension. With your parents! Oh Harry, you would love them. Your mother is such a wonderful person. She has the biggest heart, and is absolutely brilliant! She is also totally in love with your father. James is so much like you, it scares me sometimes. From what I can tell, he has matured a lot since his fifth year. He is brave and funny and kind. Even so, you look like your father but act so much like your mother. She is a great listener, and she would do anything for one of her friends. In class, she gives accurate and complete answers, sometimes almost word for word what I was thinking. Sirius is a charmer, and unfortunately it's me he is trying to charm. I love Sirius, I really do, but I refuse to have a relationship with someone who used to be twenty one years older than me. The same goes for Remus, who is a dear but is starting to get on my last nerve. Peter is shy and, well, nice. I sometimes find myself liking him before I remember he is one of the reasons your parents were killed. I am trying my best to ensure that the time line here turns out differently._

_Speaking of changing the time line, I am also trying to get close to future Death Eaters. So far, I have developed a cautious friendship with Serverus Snape, and am meeting with him tomorrow to try and convince him not to become a Death Eater. I have also been tutoring some other future Death Eaters, namely Crabbe, Goyle, and Regulus Black. I am confused what to do with that last one really. I am hoping when you come you can tell me more about the Horcruxes, as some of them may have yet to be completed. Wish me luck!_

_Hogwarts in the seventies is so different! The only class that is really the same is Transfiguration. Harry, you would laugh so hard at the antics of Sirius in that class! Professor McGonagall is so funny when she tries to fend of Padfoot's advances. So far the only real glitch is when everyone saw my boggart. That gave me nightmares which woke up my poor dorm mates. Harry, I wish you had been there. You are the only one who can really comfort me when I have a nightmare. Remember when it was just the two of us in the tent?_

_You would not believe what I said to a group of snotty girls the other day. And since you are probably never going to read this, I'm going to tell you. I told them you were my boyfriend. And Harry, how I wish that was true! I miss you so much. It's nothing like the summer, when I'm worrying about how those damn animals are treating you, because I know I'm going to see you in September. This time I think I'm going to see you in December, in time for Christmas, but I'm not sure. I hate that, not being sure. Usually you are here to reassure me, but this time you are not._

_Harry, I want to write this now. Ron told me about how in our second year, you would go to the Hospital Wing to talk to me. I never told you I could hear you. And I also never told you it stopped me from going crazy in my own head. Crazy with worry, about the basilisk, about the diary. That was the day I knew I was in love with you. I also never told you that Neville told me about how you broke down in the Department of Mysteries when you thought I was dead. I was in pain, but I vaguely heard you. And that was the moment I knew I could never love anyone but you. And I hope you will find this and read this and realize that all the strange things I did for you were because I loved you. _

_So if you take a deep look inside your heart, and know that you only love me as a sister, tell me. Tell me, so I don't waste the rest of my life hoping. And now I've rambled, and strayed to far from what I wanted to write. You can blame it on hormones I guess; that's what Ron would say if he was here. Harry, if you could see me now, you would be happy. I'm getting three meals a day, and gaining weight. I was a stick, and still am a stick, but you can no longer see the ridges on my bones. _

_I have a verse I want to share with you, a phrase that has been stuck in my head since I arrived here._

_The winds of time and the forges of war are the two things that age a person faster than any natural reason. And the flames of love and the light of happiness are the two things that make a person look younger than any potion._

_I looked in the mirror today, before I took my bath. I looked like an old women. And I realized that the winds of time have withered my body, and that I have been through the forges of war, and been heated and pounded and cooled. And I looked like I had been on this earth for centuries. And then I thought of you. And my face lit up; I looked years younger. I thought of you and was happy, and that made me look like I was only seventeen. When I was done, I looked at the mirror again, and with clothes I could have passed for normal, until you see my eyes. I know why they seem sad and mysterious, but now I know why I have all these stupid boys chasing me. As Sirius put it, I look so lost, so sad, that any man would want to help me, to make me smile again. _

_And the sad part is, I don't think I can really smile again until I see your face. I can smile for James, and for Lily, but not with all my heart. I want to see her eyes on his face and when I don't see that it makes me sad again._

_Yours forever,_

_Hermione_

**So... what do you think? Do you like the journaling? Of course, this won't be every chapter, but it may be how I skip around until Harry comes, by using Hermione's writing to tell the story. Vote at my poll if you like or dislike. If you don't have an account, tell me in a review.**

**Review! I love to know what you guys like and dislike. I have the Hogsmeade chapter written already, and it has some twists in it that may be a little... anti Sirius for a bit. But anyway, I loved it, so expect an update around Tuesday or even Monday!**

**Thanks and love to all. If you need a good Harmony, check out my story, Our Story. It is one of the best things I have ever written. Love,**

**Ausland**

***** Hope you enjoyed this chapter and was not put off by the sappy fluff. Humor me and read chapter nine. *****


	9. Hogsmeade

**Hogsmeade at last! This is not as long as Chapter 8, but it is around 3500 words. Good news! Harry comes in Chapter 11! I have written Chapter 10 and 2/3 of Chapter 11, so I was thinking to have Chapter 10 up by Thursday, and Chapter 11 up on Sat.**

**I have to warn you, Chapter 11 is very gooey and romantic. You might need to brush your teeth. I am a hopeless romantic, and I made Harry and Hermione's reunion into what I wished it to be in my head when I was imagining this story before I started to write it.**

**Poll is over, memories won. New poll: Should Peter be let into Hermione's secret? Chapter is dedicated to Ash and Rain for three reasons: 1- they are twins, and that is cool. 2-They got me to 120 reviews, so now I adore them. 3- They put a quote from this story on their homepage. I never believed in a billion years people would quote my characters.**

**Question: Is it just me, or is it fanfiction? My account won't let me see story traffic. Does yours?**

**Enjoy!**

***** Chapter Edited as of 8-26-11. It is hard to believe I was once under 100 reviews for this story. Right now, I am just over a hundred before I'll get a thousand. Review everyone and tell me if you like the new stuff I added. *****

* * *

The day of the Hogsmeade trip dawned crisp and clear, the perfect fall day. Leaves in colors of red and orange fell on the grounds, and the weather was chilly, requiring a thin sweater at the least. Usually when Hogwarts students went out to Hogsmeade, they wore muggle clothes, under a thin robe like a cardigan, trying to look fashionable. Only the rigid pureblood fanatics wore the traditional full robes.

Hermione woke early, eager for the day to begin. The night she had been to Dumbledore's office he had given her a large bag full of Galleons to spend at Hogsmeade for robes and school supplies. Hermione knew she would buy robes once she had a chance to go shopping, so she just wore a pair of old jeans and a white tank top under a deep red cardigan, a scarlet worthy of a Gryffindor. When Lily woke up, she decided that Hermione needed some makeup, something to bring out her eyes. So after a half hour's worth of mascara and eyeliner, Hermione and Lily finally met the boys in the Common Room.

They all walked down to breakfast together, joking and laughing. Hermione got her coffee and toast as usual, turning to Lily to make the usual expressions of disgust at the eating habits of half the Marauders. They waited until Sirius finished an entire rack of bacon to head out to the village, Lily and James walking a bit behind the group, laughing and sneaking kisses.

"So, Hermione. Ready to ditch these two losers and go to-" Sirius was trying to look sexy, giving Hermione the smoldering look that had worked on so many other girls. She responded with her patented 'Hermione's Glare for use on Ronald.' (New and Improved version- now also for use on Sirius!)

"If you say Madam Pudifoot's, I'm going to-" Hermione looked exasperated already.

Remus finished for her, "Rip his little buddy off, we know, Hermione. How 'bout we ditch Sirius and Peter and go have a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks?" His tawny eyes were hopeful, but they just made Hermione even more annoyed.

"I can't, I'm going to go meet someone later," Hermione said, checking her watch. "I only have time to stop at Honeydukes before I have to meet him. So I'm going to ditch all of you to go meet him. And after that I need to do some shopping. Re- Remus, put me down!" Remus picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, ignoring her fists on his back.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I can't let you go until I know who this boy is. So tell me-" He froze for a second, back arching. "OWWW! What the-"

"Don't swear, Remus." Hermione had pinched a spot of nerves that was very painful, to anyone. She had learned that one from her father, who had made sure his baby girl knew how to protect herself. "It's none of your business who I meet. And it is not a date, we just want to talk. Now, I need some sugar quills, and some lemon drops."

Hermione led the way into Honeydukes, with Remus still rubbing the spot she had pinched, protesting to Sirius. "That hurt! The little minx!"

Sirius and Peter had found Hermione's retaliation hilarious. "Mate, that was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. That little girl, who probably weighs less than one-twenty downs to big bad wolf with one little pinch. It was hot," at this, Peter stopped laughing and blushed.

Sirius looked at him and burst out laughing. "Not you too, Peter."

"I can't help it! She's pretty, she helps me, and I am so not her type. So I'm repressing it, okay?" He ducked as Sirius swung at him, twisting into the sweet shop.

Hermione was not paying attention to anything but the large trays of sugar quills, putting at least eight into a paper bag before going up to the counter to pay. Remus was right behind her, holding a large, two pound bag of chocolate. He also caught the last part of her conversation with the owner.

"Do you think it would be possible for you to send me some muggle sweets? I really do miss them," she said with a slight simper. Remus quietly snickered. Hermione simpering?

The elderly man smiled delightedly and nodded. "Of course, Miss. Would you like me to send them through owl order?"

Hermione gave a smile that Remus noticed did not quite reach her eyes, clapping her hands. "Oh, that would be delightful! How much for two packets of lemon drops?"

The man just blushed and shook his head. "Nothing for such a wonderful young lady. You need some meat on those bones, so I'll just give em to you, how's that?"

Hermione gave another not quite there smile, and finished her conversation with the man, who promised to have the lemon drops by Friday. She left the shop after giving Sirius and Peter a quick wave, heading to the Three Broomsticks to meet Snape.

She entered with a wave to Madam Rosmerta, heading to the back where she could see Sev waiting for her. "Hi," she said, greeting him with a hug. "How are you?"

"Fine. Do you want a butterbeer?" he asked, after hugging her back, a moment too late as he had been partially frozen in shock.

"Sure," she replied as she sat down, noticing his slight blush when he passed her to order her drink. It was funny to see Rosmerta's reaction when Severus asked for two butterbeers. It was even funnier when her eyes bugged out as she saw him take them to the table for two Hermione was currently occupying.

"Madam Rosmerta thinks we're on a date," she whispered, laughter dancing in her eyes.

Severus grimaced, and shrugged. "At least it's a cover, if anyone is spying on me. Now why did you want to meet here? Every one can hear us," he murmured looking around at the crowded pub.

"Don't worry, I know a spell for that," Hermione answered, already waving her wand discreetly over their table. "Muffalto, Merisango! There, now anyone not trying to listen will hear a faint buzz near us, and anyone trying to listen will hear a conversation about History of Magic. Happy?"

Severus looked at her, impressed. "Yes. Now, tell me what you think you know."

Hermione looked at him, glaring a bit. "Only if you promise not to tell anyone."

Snape looked incredulous. "Of course I won't tell anyone. I could be killed!"

Hermione laughed nervously. "Right. Sorry. So, I know Lord Voldemort wants you to become a Death Eater. You are going to have to decided whether or not to take the Dark Mark, and to be on the side of light or dark."

Now he was sure his mouth was touching the table. He felt a small hand on his jaw gently close his mouth. "How did you know?" he whispered.

Her eyes looked far too old for her seventeen year old body. "I can't tell you. I'm so sorry, but I can't. I can offer two options for you, if you still want to hear them."

Severus nodded, waiting for her to start speaking. He knew the way she got the information would probably have resulted in imprisonment or death if the authorities found out. Or the Dark Lord for that matter.

"Okay. Here is how one version goes. You accept the Dark Mark and you spy for Dumbledore. The other way, you refuse and go into hiding or stay with Dumbledore at Hogwarts. There are pros and cons for both choices, but either way you could still help the light. Do you have any idea right now what you would like to do?"

Snape took a moment to think about it, sparing a few seconds to wonder how this scrap of a girl knew so much. "How could I spy? Both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore are master Legilimens, Hermione."

She nodded. "I know. I've had more dealings with both than you can possibly imagine. You have heard of Occulmency, right?" She barely waited for him to nod before plowing ahead. "I know you could become a master Occulumens, if you wanted to. You are already amazingly talented at the art, and all you would need is some extra training. Then you could organize your mind, and lock off the memories you don't want Voldemort to see. Either I or Dumbledore can help you develop this skill," Hermione was looking at him under her lashes, wondering if he would react badly.

"Okay, but how would you stop my fellow 'friends' from killing me?" Of course Severus looked worried, as it was his life and health on the stake. Hermione's wondered how his sweet and sometimes sarcastic teenage boy turned into the man she had known as an adult. How could something like that happen to any one?

She looked pensive at this, asking him, "How long can you post pone this?"

"Probably until a while after graduation for the mark itself. But the Dark Lord wants the 'yes' or 'no' by the end of Christmas Break. What am I gonna do, Hermione?" he moaned, putting his head on the table. He jumped when she smacked his arm.

"People are looking at us even if they can't hear us. Act normal for Merlin's sake!" He rubbed his arm and pouted, looking at her fake cheery smile. He could tell it was fake, only because he had seen her smile for real once. Strangely enough, it had been when she had been looking a Potter, who had been stumbling around with blindfold spelled to his face. It would probably be just his luck if she fell in love with Potter.

"Ow! You couldn't have held back a little, Hermione?" She laughed and shook her head, freezing when she saw who had just entered the Three Broomsticks.

"Awww _shit_!" Now it was Hermione's turn to put her head on the table. "Oh, well. Act natural, Sev."

Snape turned, and cursed quietly. It was Potter and his group, the werewolf, the stupid one, and Potter's best friend. With them was Lily, who had her hand intertwined with Potter's. Snape was surprised it didn't hurt as much this time. Usually it felt like a iron rod in his heart. He wondered if Hermione had anything to do with it...

"Act natural? What the hell is natural with us?" Hermione looked flustered, and a little lost. Severus felt bad for a second, then pushed it aside to deal with the present situation.

"Well, act like we're two friends who just met up for a drink. Okay?" When he nodded she visibly calmed down.

Until James saw her and yelled, "Hey, Hermione!" pulling Lily along with him to say hi. Remus and Sirius had identical expressions of shock on their faces when they saw her 'date.' Those looks of shock turned into murderous glares of hatred, making them look slightly ridiculous as they stalked over to the table.

"James, they on a _date_! They probably want to be left alone!" Lily was hissing angrily.

"Lils, we just want to say hi. And see what that greasy bastard is doing to our friend," James responded.

Snape looked at Hermione, who was whispering furiously, taking down the privacy spells. She finished with the last one just as James and Lily got to the table, with Sirius and Remus on their heels. Hermione stood up to give James and Lily hugs, smiling the same cheery smile she had one before. Perfect, happy, and completely fake.

"Hey-" Sirius arrived and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from Snape.

"What are you doing here with him?" he asked, yanking on her arm again. "What are you doing with that piece of Death Eater filth?"

"Ow- Sirius- you're hurt-" Hermione said, tears coming to her eyes as Sirius jerked her arm, shoulder and wrist screaming in pain. It wasn't the worst she had been through, but is had still surprised her. It was the first time someone else had tried to hurt her since she had come to Hogwarts, the fact that it was Sirius hurt even more than the tight hold he had on her arm.

He tightened his grip on her wrist, grinding the bones together. "What. Are. You. Doing. With. Him?" Sirius growled angrily, pulling her close to him. His gray eyes were alight with fury and his breathing was rapid.

"Sirius! Calm down, mate," James was angry, but Remus and Snape looked furious. James grabbed Sirius' arm, squeezing until he let go of her, and Remus and James grabbed Sirius and took him outside, Peter following nervously, glancing back at Hermione.

Lily shook her head sadly. "Hermione? Is your arm really hurt?" Hermione tested her arm, rotating her wrist, and winced.

"I'll be okay. I'll just have a bruise or two later." Snape had come over to Hermione and was glaring at the window, where Hermione could see that James and Remus were giving Sirius a proper bollocking. "I am going to murder Sirius later. He over reacts to much, don't you think so, Lily?"

Lily looked at Hermione incredulously. "Hermione. You told him you didn't want to go to Hogsmeade with him because you had a boy back home. Then he sees you on a date with his worst enemy. Hermione- Hermione why are you laughing?"

Between giggles, Hermione answered. "I'm not a date with Sev! We're just friends, Lily. And I already told you about the boy I have back home. And you know how I feel about him. And I am going to promise you that I am not dating Severus. Right Sev?"

Snape felt the iron rod again, thinking about Hermione with another boy. "Right," he replied, feeling like the gods were having a good laugh over this. The one girl he thinks he could have feelings for after Lily, and she's already taken. Lovely.

Lily looked at Hermione gravely. "You need to tell Sirius that, Hermione. From his perspective, this looks really bad," Hermione nodded.

"Sure. Right after he apologizes for practically ripping my arm of. I have to go shop now Lily, so bye. Bye Sev!" Hermione left, taking her leave of the pub.

She did the rest of her shopping in a occupied blur, going to a robe store to get her robes, and a set for Harry when he came. Next was a small bookstore, where she got two sets of the required school texts.

It took her two hours to get everything she needed, and now she ready to head back up to Hogwarts. She shivered, regretting asking all her purchases to be delivered through owl order. She was in dire need of a cloak, one with a hood if the thunderheads above her were any indication.

The path to Hogwarts was long, almost two miles. It would take her about seventeen minutes if she ran it. But she would rather not, thinking it would take her about half an hour to walk it. She uttered a quick prayer to hold of rain, then started walking fast to get back to the castle.

When she had only about fifteen minutes left on her journey, it started to rain heavily, pouring down from the heavens in sheets, soaking her to the bone. The rest of the trip was done at a quick run, getting her boots muddy and giving her a nasty cramp in her right leg. She might be in the best physical shape of her life, but she was still weak from her long period of captivity, and her muscles were still under her old standard.

Entering the castle, she shook her head, spraying rainwater all over the floor. She was chilled to the core, her hair was dripping wet, and her tank top was transparent. Perfect. At least Lily had used waterproof makeup. Her walk to Gryffindor Tower was full of angry mutterings about stupid boys and stubborn dimensional travelers.

When she arrived in the Gryffindor Common Room, the Marauders were already there, playing Exploding Snap with Lily and Alice. However, when they saw her they stopped the game.

Hermione looked down at herself to asses the damage. Yep, her tank top was still transparent. And her arm was already starting to bruise. Her side was aching a bit, and through her tank top you could see her scars. Great. Lily was coming over to her, meeting her halfway to the entrance to the Girl's dorm. Just my luck, Hermione thought. They have to sit the chairs right in front of the stairs. That means I have to give them a perfect view of my bra as I go up the stairs. She pulled her cardigan around her body, thankful that it covered almost everything. "Hermione! We were so worried about you! You look frozen, you poor thing..."

Hermione let the older girl babble on, getting out of her wet clothes and going to the bathroom to take a warm shower. She felt stupid for not making a shield or something to block the rain. She had yet to get used to having her wand back...

She had been really lucky. When she had been captured, Harry had taken her wand with him before leaving. He had thrown it to her when all hell broke out after Bella had cast the spell that had taken her to this dimension. She had thanked God several times for allowing her to catch it using her feeble hand eye coordination.

When she finished with her shower, Hermione gave up on her hair, putting it in a bun just to keep it out of her face. She dried her clothes with her wand and went downstairs, hoping that Sirius would still be there. However, he had left, apparently still angry at her. She looked at Lily, who shook her head.

"I told him, and now he's really embarrassed. He's really mad at himself for hurting you, Hermione." Hermione just sighed, and sat down in front of the fire with her book, this one on the effects of dimensional travel on the travelers. This one was particularly interesting because it stated that you do not age while in the alternate dimension. Hair and nails would grow, but not anything else. You could not gain much weight, and you cannot heal naturally. So that would mean she would need to heal the bruises with magic. It even talked about the spell Bellatrix had used, but with a few differences. Hermione took out a piece of paper, and using Arithmancy decided it was a change so it would not effect someone with a Dark Mark. It also said that someone with the spell cast on them would age twice as fast, until they were transported into the dimension the spell sent them to.

So, logically, if a Death Eater had the spell cast on him, he would age quickly until the Dark Mark was removed. But if the Dark Mark couldn't be removed, what would happen? Or would it simply not effect him? It was all too confusing, even for a girl with a brain like Hermione Granger's. The only thing she was really sure of was that Harry had been in the range of the spell.

Hermione smiled wryly at this, as it would mean Harry might be older than her when he got here. She would no longer be able to pull age on him. Another part of the book talked about the runic equations she had come up with during her 'chat' with Dumbledore. Near the end, it mentioned the effects of dimensional travel on the body, worrying Hermione. It said prolonged stay in another dimension can affect the mind, turning the traveler crazy. It can also make the person forget their original life, and make it hard for them to go back to their dimension. However, it said that a prolonged stay was about three years, so Hermione hoped that her calculations were correct. She would be staying for under a year if they left at the summer solstice. Then again, she knew she had gone a little crazy during her stay at Malfoy Manor. What was a few more marbles?

When dinner started, she put down the book, deciding to return it to her trunk. It was depressing her too much to finish. Dinner was a subdued affair, with Sirius still missing. James and Remus winced every time they saw the bruises on her arm, and finally broke down and asked her if she was had been on a date with Snape.

"No! Of course not! I like Sev, but he is just a friend. Like you, or Remus, or Lily. Severus is a friend of mine, and I care about him the same way I care about you guys. So just leave him alone. He's going through a lot, and wanted some advice, which is why we met up today. Happy?"

And after that dinner continued. By the time Hermione went to bed, she was in a semi-good mood. She missed Harry and Ron, and writing in the journal seemed to help her cope. It was late by the time she finally whispered, "Nox" and went to sleep, making plans to spend her Sunday curled up with a mug of tea and a good book.

* * *

**Is it good? Next Chapter is memories, then it's Harry! BTW, I just saw the Deathly Hallows part one when I wrote Chapter 11. And I have officially decided that the scene where they dance in the tent is going to have happened in this story.**

**Review, Vote. Next Chapter up Thurs, Harry comes Sat. Okay? Review and give me inspiration for Chapter Twelve. Also, what memories you would like to see for the next chapter. I still need one more... so I'll pick the best one and dedicate the next chapter to that person.**

**Also, next chapter has some vague Tortall references. If you know what I'm talking about, say so in a review, and you'll be my bestest friend forever T.P. ROCKS!**

***** Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and will like the next one. Harry is in Chapter 11! *****


	10. The Time Between

**Okay. Fanfiction was totally being horrible to me for some reason. I swear, this website hates me. I could not get the lines to stay where they were supposed to stay. Sorry about that. That being said(er... written) I hate this chapter. I just could not bring myself to like it. It had to be done, and it was like writing an EE. If any of my readers is an IB student or grad, I have some questions. (Does it get easier, how did you stay sane, will I ever sleep again...etc.) As my English teacher said a few years ago (it's on IBquotes!) this was like giving birth to a chapter. I just had to push a little harder.**

**Harry is next! I love chapter eleven, it is for now my favorite child- I mean Chapter. Read this and weep and anticipate Saturday. Yay for weekends! (and wizards with messy black hair and sexy green eyes) WARNING= The story had been K+ or so until now. The next chapter is where it gets to the T limit. From there, it a lot of kissing. So, 9 and under- please no unless a parent or someone reads it first and ok's you. I do not want to corrupt your innocence. Thank you.**

**Poll winner was (surprisingly), to tell Peter. That took me by surprise, but only eleven people voted, so if you are not happy with that, vote next time. I also take into account anon reviews, if you do not have an account. Chapter is dedicated to Tortall101 for being a Tamora Pierce fan. She is quite possibly the best author ever. I adore her and her books. If anyone is curious enough to know why I love her so much, PM me or ask me in a review. (it involves a lot of bombs and a military base. Fun, I know)**

**Enjoy and try not to hate me for my long author's note. I want to hear everything wrong with it so later I can go back and fix it. (note I made some changes to other chapters - mainly spell check)**

*****Chapter Edited as of 10-12-11. I changed plenty. I guess you could say I took some tough love reviews to heart and swallowed my pride. It only took me several months to do it, and get over my first real flames. Sigh. *****

Hermione sat down with her journal, taking a break from pacing the room. Over the last few days, she had been constantly tense. Lily and the other girls had left the dorm, leaving Hermione alone- a rare treat in a boarding school such as Hogwarts.

Privately, Lily thought Hermione was acting, well, feral. She had a wild look in her eye, and her hair appeared more untamable than ever. The small girl's subtlety developed muscles were always tense, and Hermione was constantly in motion. In class, her quill or foot was always tapping, and she was surprisingly impatient with the slower members of the class. As soon as the bell rang, she would almost sprint out of the room. After classes, she would get some kind of strenuous exercise, coming in for dinner, then completing her homework with a speed Sirius was convinced was unnatural. Then she would sneak off to the seventh floor and come back sweaty and tired before dropping off to sleep after a quick shower.

However, of all the girls, only Lily knew the true reason behind Hermione's nerves. It was December 19th. In only two days Hermione would find if her calculations were correct. Lily too was eager to meet her son, and James almost as much. Sirius and Remus were also in on the secret, and made allowances for Hermione. She was snappish and wound tight, flinching when anyone was close to her.

After writing for a while, Hermione sat on her bed. She knew she was too tense, and she needed to relax. She had been going to the Room of Requirement to wear herself out, practicing advanced magic and improving on her speed and accuracy.

But tonight, so tantalizingly close to seeing _him _again, Hermione wanted to try something she had read about in a book a few days ago. Meditation- a way to relax the body and mind. It would also have the added benefit of helping her remember what had happened leading up to the botched rescue. She would look back on good and bad memories, progressing from childhood, to adolescence, to the strange state she was in now. She looked down at her body and grimaced. She had gained exactly one pound before her body froze. She ate and drank, but never gained any weight. Alice and Dorcas were convinced that something was wrong with her, as she was still skeletal, even though she ate at most meals. She was still in 'prisoner' mode, and her body wasn't adverse to missed meals.

She lit her favorite candles, vanilla, and green tea and sage. She pulled the curtains around her bed and folded her legs in the lotus position. She wiggled around, trying to get comfortable without looking utterly ridiculous, then gave up, pulling the curtains of her bed around her. She didn't know when the other girls would be going to bed after all.

Taking deep breaths, Hermione looked back on her life starting at her first outburst of accidental magic.

_She was about three, walking up to the bookshelf, determined to get the book on the top of the shelf. She was far too small to reach it, but had decided she would stack books on an available chair to reach it. Mommy had read part of it to her the other night, and Hermione wanted to finish it. Soon Hermione was exhausted, still far away from the book. She got down from the chair, bottom lip trembling precariously. She wanted that book more than anything. Suddenly, the book flew off the shelf, hovering neatly in front of her. She clapped her hands in glee, grabbing the book to go to her bed to read. _

_Later in the day, Hermione heard the front door open. Her mother was home and her room was messy. Hermione thought about what she had done before, and one by one the books floated up to their proper positions. When she finished, she wiped her brow. It was hard work moving books with her mind. She glanced up, and saw the astonished looks her parents were giving her._

_"Did you do that, honey?" her mom asked. Hermione nodded eagerly._

_"Yes, Mommy. I made a mess getting the Alanna book out, so I cleaned up." She reached out her arms for her mother to pick her up, which Emma Granger did without much thought. Hermione tucked her head in her mother's shoulder, not quite missing the worried looks her parents shot each other._

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_It was her eleventh birthday, and Hermione was hurrying home from school. Her parents had promised to take her out for dinner at her favorite restaurant, Costa's. She turned the corner at the entrance to her neighborhood. When she was only ten minutes from home, two boys and three girls circled around her._

_The first, a boy in her class, John, stepped up to her and sneered, saying "I knew you were smart Granger, but did you really need to get a hundred on that test? You're so freakish, you try on purpose to get the rest of us in trouble." The rest of the class failed, and the teacher could not do a curve because Hermione had passed._

_This particular teacher hated Hermione, as she had realized four days into the school year that Hermione was the brightest person in the classroom on any given day. So when she handed back the test, she made sure the class knew whose fault it was that they didn't get a curve._

_One of the girls behind Hermione pushed her, and when they saw she was frozen in fear, they attacked, Hermione curling into the fetal position as they beat her. She reached down deep within herself, and grabbed the light she saw. The white light was expanding, flooding her senses. She heard screams, and saw the other children running away. She looked down at her body, and saw she was on fire, but she was not burning. The smell of charred flesh was still in the air, and Hermione cried all the way home._

_When she arrived, she heard voices in the sitting room, so she headed there, surprised to see her parents with a strangely dressed lady. The lady turned to her, saying, "Hello Miss Granger. I am Professor McGonagall, and I am from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..."_

_Twenty minutes later, Hermione was completely healed, a trip to Diagon Alley planned, and a ticket reading Platform Nine and Three Quarters in Emma Granger's wallet._

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_Hermione was in the Hospital Wing, she knew that much. She could hear voices around her, but she couldn't move. She was panicking in her head, unable to see after Madam Pomfrey closed her eyes. In her clenched fist she had vital information that Harry needed to see. She knew the monster was a basilisk, and-_

_Someone was touching her. Then someone started speaking. It took effort, but she could make out what he was saying. "Hey 'Mione. It's me, Harry. I know you probably can't hear me right now, but I want you to know I'm here for you if you can hear me. Right now in Transfiguration we're learning about-"_

_Over the next few days, Harry moved from school work to his life, he wasn't interested in Hogwarts gossip, and knew Hermione wasn't either. He ran out of other things to talk about, so he moved on to his life at the Dursleys. Then one day she could feel a faint tugging on her right hand, the one with the piece of parchment in it._

_Yes! Harry would take the information to Dumbledore, who would solve the problem. Everything would be alright, and Harry told her that she should be given the Mandrake potion the next day. The only problem was she wasn't sure if she would be allowed to take the exams._

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"_TELL ME!" Bellatrix's dark, sunken eyes were alight with furious rage, glaring down at her menacingly._

_Hermione just grinned and waved her hand lazily, although the effect was somewhat ruined by the shaking from the damaged nerves. "Bite me."_

"_Crucio!"_

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_Hermione was tapping her foot in a corner of the Common Room, waiting for Sirius to say something. "Well?" she asked, wincing at how harsh her voice sounded. She really was annoyed, he was refusing to meet her eye, instead looking at her arm or the floor._

_Sirius flinched, finally looking up at her guiltily. "I'm sorry Hermione. It was none of my business and I promise never to hurt you again. Forgive me?"_

_He was giving her the puppy dog eyes, a move he had perfected about two years ago. Hermione shook her head, grinning softly. "Of course. But you have to understand that Sev and I are just friends, and that I have a man back home. Okay?" A small part curled at the lie she told the gray eyed boy, but she brutally shoved it down._

_He nodded and she hugged him, and the two of them walked back to their circle of friends, giggling at the looks on the Marauder's faces when they each had to hand over ten Galleons to Lily. "Told you she'd hug him."_

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_Hermione ducked through a secret passage, going up to Dumbledore's office. She ran up the stairs, muttering to herself about stupid boys. When she got to the office, she put her gold hands on her hips and glared at them. Her hair was now redder than Lily's, and her skin the color of a Galleon._

_Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James quailed under her glare. "Is there a reason everyone is colored red and gold?" she shrieked at them. "I told you to cheer Alice up. As if losing her parents to that over grown pair of moldy shorts isn't enough, now she has to deal with red hair and gold skin! You boys should be ashamed of your selves!"_

_She then looked at Dumbledore, then her cheeks turned a delightful orange color. The teachers were the opposite, red skin and gold hair. As she looked and the calm, red skinned Dumbledore, she fought the desire to break out in laughter. Dumbledore looked at the boys, and smiled. "I, for one found the prank delightful. I think having Misses Granger and Evans yell at you boys will be punishment enough. You may go."_

_Hermione led the way down the stairs, waiting until they were past the gargoyle before glaring harshly at Sirius, then James. She then turned to Remus. "Remus John Lupin! I expected better of you. You're a prefect for God's sake!" Next in line was James. "James Harry Potter!" She had to look away for a second, blinking fast. She hadn't expected saying his name would hurt so much. She looked back at the cowering James, who had an infuriatingly smug grin pasted on his face. "You are Head Boy! Have some sense!"_

_As soon as she finished chewing out Sirius, Lily appeared around the corner. "JAMES HARRY POTTER! What did you do to my HAIR?"_

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_Hermione and Snape were sitting in the dungeons, were Snape was helping Hermione make the potion for Remus. They were also discussing Severus' future._

_Hermione glanced at him, adding the powdered nightshade slowly. "Sev? Have you decided what you're going to do now?"_

_He looked at her, and took a deep breath. "Yes. I'm going to spy. Can- can you help me tell Dumbledore?"_

_She smiled at him warmly. "Of course. What are friends for?"_

_He smirked, the said, "Handing you the lacewings."_

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_Lily and Hermione were sitting on Hermione's bed. "You have to tell them soon, Hermione. They aren't stupid. They know you're not normal. And they are trustworthy," Lily was flushed, and her eyes were sparkling, just like Harry's did when he was talking about Hallows. She had to look away for a second, pushing back tears._

_"I can't, Lily. They are happy. What are they going to do when they find out one of their number betrayed them? I'm trying to help Peter, and Regulus, and everyone Lily. I'm trying to save the world -"_

_"And you need help. They can help you, Hermione. Please. James and I got in a fight, and he thinks I'm keeping something from him and I am, Hermione. He knows a little, but not much. And it's straining his friendship with Sirius and Remus. And speaking of the boys-"_

_"I'm not interested. They need to get that in their thick skulls before I knock it in for them."_

_"Please, Hermione. I need this, you need this. Please."_

_"Fine, Lily. I'll do it for you." The taller girl hugged the other, and the two left the room._

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_"You're from another dimension. One that is twenty years in the future. Hermione, are you crazy?" Sirius was staring at Hermione in undisguised shock, with a wary glint in his eye._

_"No. You, Sirius Orion Black, are wrong. Do I need to prove it to you?" Hermione said frostily. She wasn't quite comfortable with the situation._

"_Yeah. That'd be nice," drawled Sirius sarcastically. "When you fail this test miserably we can just cart you off to St. Mungos."_

_Hermione just sighed, starting in a low voice that strengthened as she went on. "You have a Grim Animagus, you run around with a werewolf on full moons, you want a motorbike, and your mum blasted you off the family tapestry. You live at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. You have a demented house elf named Kreacher. Your bedroom is on the second floor, and is decorated with Gryffindor colors and muggle models."_

_She turned to face all of them. "I know plenty about each of you. I know when you will die, who you will marry, what job you have. But the sad part is, twenty years in the future, only one of you is still alive."_

_She was met with four dumbfounded expressions. Peter was the first to speak. "Am I dead?"_

_She thought for a moment. "I'm pretty sure you're dead by now. You have some very powerful people who have major grudges against you."_

_Sirius looked at her, frightened. "What about me?"_

_Hermione got tears in her eyes for a second. "I saw you die in my fifth year at Hogwarts. Your death impacted my life and the lives of my best friends a lot."_

_Remus looked thoughtful. "So I'm guessing I'm dead?"_

_Hermione chuckled grimly. "As far as I know, not yet. But it is a very distinct possibility."_

_James looked at Lily, then Hermione. "Lily and I?"_

_She nodded. "Yes. Your orphaned son is my best friend."_

_"You're gonna make me godfather for the Prongslet, aren't you James?" Sirius asked with a strained grin._

_James grinned back. "Of course. Who else would teach him to play pranks and hate Slytherins?" Remus and Peter made an elaborate show of shunning the two of them. "Aww, Moony. You guys will be Uncles. You lot can spoil him rotten."_

_Hermione shook her head. "That never happened in my timeline. Sirus was sent to Azkaban, Peter was presumed dead for thirteen years, and Remus was not allowed to contact Harry. Your son was sent to Lily's sister, who abused him. Until Harry had to go to school, he thought his name was 'boy.' He slept in the closet under the stairs until he went to Hogwarts. Petunia was scared Dumbledore would punish her if he saw Harry's living conditions, so she gave him her son's second bedroom, with the newly added additions of locks, a cat door for food, and bars on the window."_

_Lily started to cry softly into James' shoulder. "The last time I had a civil conversation with my sister was in 1970. She always hated me after I got my Hogwarts letter."_

_James patted her back to console her. "That should have never happened. In our wills we would have given-" he looked at Hermione, "Harry was it?" she nodded. "We would have given Harry to Frank and Alice, or to Andy and Ted."_

_Hermione cut in. "You did. Dumbledore bypassed your wills to make sure Harry was with the Dursleys. Anyway, Frank and Alice were tortured into insanity the day after you were killed."_

_Peter was ashen. "What can we do to prevent this? Why are you telling us this?"_

_Hermione had a determined glint in her eye, a stubborn set to her chin. "Because. I want to change the timeline, and make sure you are all there for Harry's eleventh birthday."_

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_Hermione and Lily were sitting together on Lily's bed. Lily had a small writing desk out, with a blank piece of parchment and a quill. Cluttering the bed were many ripped up pieces of parchment._

_"Hermione! What can I tell her? We've barely spoken for seven years, and she's really jealous of me," Lily moaned, believing this was her own special torture, guaranteed to make her break down in less than ten minutes. She could not really believe that writing a letter to her sister would be so hard._

_"Just do it Lily. Apologize, say you admire her, and ask if you can meet over break. I've already gotten permission from Dumbledore to let you Floo to Muggle London on the 30th. Tell her you can't wait to see her. She's your sister, and you know what's best to say. Come on Lily!"_

_Two hours later the girls had what they thought was a perfect letter to Petunia Evans. They politely asked a house elf to get it to Dumbledore, so he could mail it through the Muggle post._

_Lily collapsed on the bed, groaning. "I am never doing that again. I swear, kill me now before I have to write another letter to Tunie."_

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_"Miss Granger! Please stay after class for a minute," Professor McGonagall barked, looking at the girl before her with worried eyes._

_"Yes, Professor?" Hermione questioned nervously._

_"Miss Granger, the staff is concerned for you. You hardly eat at mealtimes, and we fear you are dangerously underweight. In fact, the Miss Skeeter came to me yesterday to tell me that she heard you telling Miss Evans that you are anorexic. Are you healthy, Miss Granger?" The brutal words would have shielded the compassion in Professor McGonagall's eyes from anyone who didn't know her well. As it was, Hermione was almost too shocked to notice._

_Hermione saw red for a moment. "I am fine, Professor. Amanda Skeeter has a grudge against me, and would do almost anything to smear my reputation. I do not have an eating disorder, Professor. I'm still recovering from being starved for around four months." The sarcasm in her voice did not escape the Transfiguration Professor._

_Really, she had only been captive in Malfoy Manor for two months. But the months they had spent camping had been almost as bad. With Ron gobbling everything in sight and her awful cooking skills, food had been scarce._

_McGonagall looked away for a moment. "I apologize, Miss Granger. I wish you well on your recovery. You may go."_

_It was a clear dismissal, so Hermione took her leave._

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_Hermione was with Sirius and James, watching from a secret passage as Amanda Skeeter walked past them._

_"Three more feet... Two, Now Remus!" James whispered into the mirror he was holding._

_Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh. Skeeter had just gotten about three gallons of goop (specially colored puke yellow) dumped on her head. The goop had the special effect of making a person expand rapidly._

_Amanda Skeeter was shrieking, watching as she got fatter by the second. Triple chins, a large beer belly, sausage fingers, the entire package. On her forehead, the pimples spelling Gossip were still there, spread out, angry and red. She had gone to Madam Pomfrey for them, but the healer had no clue how to remove them. She had hexed her nose off trying to remove them herself, and after that she had left them alone._

_Amanda ran, well, waddled really, to the Hospital Wing, love handles bouncing. As soon as she had turned the corner, Hermione and the Marauders spilled from the passages they had been hiding in. Hermione hugged James, thanking him over and over again._

_"That was brilliant, James! Thank you so much!" Hermione was laughing and her eyes were sparkling happily. However, when Remus looked back on the memory later, he could still see the sadness that never left her eyes._

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_Hermione slid into the seat next to Snape, whispering in his ear, "How's the Occulomency going?"_

_He winced. "Okay. Dumbledore still manages to get in my head every single time. The problem is that my barriers take a beating and that gives me a killer headache."_

_She patted his hand sympathetically, and shushed him when Slughorn entered the room. She took careless notes, not paying much attention. She had brewed Polyjuice in her second year. She could do it in her sleep, but Slughorn was doing a week of notes and prep. It would take a month to make this potion, and it was going to be a large part of their grade. Hermione had gotten twice the ingredients she had needed, and was brewing it along with the Wolfsbane for Remus._

_She had plans for that potion. She and Harry would have to get Voldemort's horcruxes fast, before he made anymore. She knew the cup and the diary were already made, the snake and locket maybe not. She was also sure about the ring, but was worried about getting to it. If Dumbledore had almost died getting it, what chance would they have?"_

_She looked down at her notes, then blushed. In the margins she had doodled, mermaids and princesses, but most often, _HJG loves HJP_ or _Hermione Jane Potter.

_Severus looked at her, and her flaming red cheeks. He looked down at her notes, where she was looking. Her hand was covering most of it, but he could make out _-ione Jane Potter_. His heart felt like it was breaking again. Why did every girl he ever even liked fall for Potter?_

_When class was over, he swept out of the classroom without even looking at Hermione._

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_McGonagall was going around with the list for those staying for the Winter Holidays. Hermione signed her name quickly, then looked in shock as the Marauders (minus Peter whose mother was making him come home) and Lily all signed as well._

_She touched Lily's arm gently. "Lily, you don't have to stay with me, really. Go ahead and see your parents and Tunie." Petunia and Lily had exchanged several letters, and now they were on much better terms._

_Lily shook her head. "No, Hermione. I love my parents and sister, but I'll see them on the 30th. I want to see my son. And James wants to see the 'Prongslet' and Sirius wants to see his godson-"_

_Hermione laughed. "I get it." She lowered her voice slightly, almost whispering, "Thank you, Lily. I don't know how well I'll hold up if I was wrong."_

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_Hermione was sitting across from the Headmaster, holding out her Christmas present to him. "Merry Christmas, sir," she said, watching with glee to see how he would react to the candies._

_"Merry Christmas, Miss Granger," he replied, looking at the muggle candies warily, putting one of them in his mouth. "Why, Miss Granger! These are delicious! Pray tell, what are they?"_

_Hermione grinned. "Lemon drops, sir."_

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Hermione yawned and slowly brought herself out of her meditative state, stretching and groaning. It had really been a good idea, she was now much calmer. Her muscles were no longer tense and she was breathing easier. She looked at the candles, then at the clock. A good two hours had passed, and Hermione decided to go down to the Common Room. She hadn't really talked to the Marauders for days. It would also do her good to finish the rest of the homework she had for the Break.

**So... hate it? Love it? Want me to scrap it completely?**

**New poll up, concerning the date I'm planning for Harry and 'Mione. Vote if you can!**

**Review! Please. The reviews you give me inspire me and give me ideas. (Note- I did incorporate some suggestions) Reviews also make my family think I'm crazy because I'm smiling and am super happy all day.**

***** I hope you enjoyed. Next chapter, Harry arrives. *****


	11. Harry

**Here it is! The chapter you've all been waiting for! I have some rants and lectures, but those will be at the bottom so you can read this first.**

**Chapter is dedicated to Areej, who was the first person to review the story. Thank you so much.**

**WARNING: FLUFF**

*****Edited as of 1/12/12. Gosh, this was bad. Sorry. I fixed some, but to change most of would be to completely change the story. Sigh.*****

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It was time. Hermione was so nervous, she was paradoxically calm, every muscle tense as she squeezed Lily's hand. With her was Remus, James, Sirius. They stood by the lake, waiting for Harry to appear. Lily and James had shown Hermione the exact spot where they had found her, and the group stood in front of it, Lily and Hermione in front. It was almost twelve, and Harry was due in three minutes.

Hermione let go of Lily's hand, and whispered a quick prayer. She stepped forward, slightly in front of the group. She turned to Remus and Sirius, and explained once more, "Remember, Harry might be shocked to see you, since I know at least one of you is dead in our dimension. So if he hugs you or says something weird, just go along with it for now. Lily, James, he's going to think he's dead when he sees you. Just wait for me to tell him where he is. It's probably going to be best for him not to see you guys right away, alright?" Although they had all heard it before, they nodded with only a slight eye roll from Sirius. Hermione checked her watch, muttering, "One minute," before stepping closer to the spot, facing the Marauders. She looked again, waiting, murmuring, "Five, four, three two..."

Nothing happened.

Hermione stared at her watch in disbelief, then looked up at the outline of Hogwarts. It took a few seconds for her to become aware of the change in the air; her ears were ringing, and then she was suddenly blinded by a bright light, shining brightly right in front of her. There was a thud, and Hermione watched as Harry suddenly appeared, wand drawn and looking unsure of his surroundings.

She moved and his eyes darted to her. His eyes widened, and she ran to him, throwing her arms around him at the same time he threw his arms around her. He was whispering, "Hermione, oh 'Mione, Hermione you're safe, oh Hermione," and she was doing the same, saying his name over and over again, tears dripping down her cheeks, happy tears. He was _there_ in her arms, taller than he had been before (her head only reached his chest), shoulders more filled out, hard muscles and slight stubble and that musky scent that was- Harry.

He pulled back to look at her fully, and his eyes went to hers, and she was getting lost in those mesmerizing emeralds she had loved for so long. Her heart stopped when he bent down to put his lips by her ear, and whispered, "I love you so much, Hermione," before pulling back again and kissing her, slowly and sweetly, love and tenderness in his evident in every line of his face, caressing her cheek once before pulling away and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, so he could see her eyes.

"Harry-" she started, but stopped. His eyes dimmed, and she watched him start to almost deflate with perceived rejection. Unable to find words, she flung her arms around his neck, stretching on tip-toe to say in his ear, "I love you, too," and his eyes went from soft to hard, hunger and lust shining brightly in them. This time he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him with all her might, rejoicing in the taste of his tongue, the fierceness of his kiss, the love she had for him and him for her.

Vaguely she heard someone clearing their throat, so she reluctantly pulled away from Harry's lips, resting her head on his shoulder. "Harry?"

He grinned down at her, clearly ecstatic. "Yes, 'Mione?"

"We need to talk. What do you last remember?" She was observing his face, and could tell he was looking around, worriedly.

"I was... I was at Hogwarts. The last thing I remember is standing over Voldemort. He's dead now, Hermione. How did I get here?" He set her down gently, and she immediately missed his arms around her.

She looked down at the ground, speaking softly, "Do you remembered when I disappeared?" She waited for him to nod, then continued. "That spell Voldemort cast, it was one to transport us to another dimension. From the research I've done, I figured out it was specially written to only affect those within a twenty foot radius and without a Dark Mark. I really don't know why it took longer to affect you but-"

Harry looked at her intently, asking quietly, "Would having a piece of Voldemort's soul in my head be enough to protect me for enough time?" There was a pain in his eyes she had never seen there before.

Her brain felt like it was going a mile a minute, making connections and leaping to different ideas. "Yes... but that would-" She looked up at him, horror stricken. "You were a Horcrux?"

Harry nodded, closing his eyes, and putting his head on her shoulder, having to bend considerably to do so. "Yes. And that bastard Dumbledore never told me. How did you know I would be here?" He lifted his head, and Hermione found herself momentarily dazed by his eyes.

"Because of your magical signature and birthdate, oh, a lot of things, like where you were standing. But the most important was the magical properties of winter solstice. I came on a magically important date, and so Dumbledore and I figured this would be the one to draw you, no matter how much time passed in our dimension," Hermione looked up at him nervously, through her lashes. "Harry, we are in another dimension, in 1977."

"Another dimension?" Harry asked, not quite understanding. "As in…"

Hermione, having prepared for the question, answered. "Think strings all on top of each other. They start out the same, but one or two things differ in each. They change, and tangle, and sometimes touch. Other times, someone or something connects them for a moment. We are in the seventies, at Hogwarts, in a world that is not the same but not very different from ours."

Harry's forehead scrunched up, as it always did when he was calculating. "1977, Hermione, that means we are at Hogwarts with my parents! With Sirius!" He looked at her, and she could see he was looking overwhelmed and overjoyed. "Hermione, do you know them?"

She nodded, then replied, "Yes, Harry. I've been here since October. I share a room with your mother, and I play chess with Sirius and read with Remus, and-" she stopped for a moment. "Because this is different dimension, we can change things. I've told your parents and Sirius and Remus everything. They're waiting to meet you," she finished, taking his hand and turning to face the group.

She blushed a bit, embarrassed that they had seen her react so strongly to Harry. She had completely forgotten they had an audience. She felt the huge smile she had slip off her face as she saw the glares Remus and Sirius were giving Harry. She glared back at them and they both adopted guilty looks. She could feel his hand shaking in hers, and squeezed it reassuringly. He ducked again to put those wonderful lips by her ear, and whispered, "Help me, 'Mione?"

She laughed and said, "Of course, Harry." She led him over to Lily and James, who were watching him with tears in their eyes. "Harry, Lily Evans and James Potter. Lily, James, Harry Potter, your son."

Lily tore her hand out of James' and hugged Harry, who patted her on the back with one hand, refusing to let go of Hermione's. He shook hands with his father, and gave his mother a final squeeze. "Harry, Sirius and Remus. Boys, Harry Potter."

Remus offered his hand favorably enough, but Sirius just glared at him until Hermione smacked his arm, hard. "Sirius Orion Black, I thought I told you be polite! I told you I had somebody back home, and you refused to listen. So shake his hand like a man and go mope somewhere else!"

Reluctantly, Sirius offered his hand to Harry, who seemed hurt. "Padfoot? Hermione, what is going on? Why's Sirius acting like this?"

Hermione shook her head and stretched herself on Harry, trying to get to his ear. Obligingly, he bent down, face growing harsh as he listened to her say, "Sirius and Remus haven't left me alone since I got here. I told them I wasn't available, but Sirius refused to listen. That boy has been trying to get me to go to Hogsmeade with him since day one. Don't be offended if he's a little rude to you at first."

He looked at Sirius, sympathetic, but not yielding. It was strange for him to see the man he had idolized for so long regarding him with such angry eyes. Shaking his head, he said, "We need to talk. Hermione is not available, and we need to discuss this thoroughly, Sirius." There was a distinct undertone of a warning in his voice, one that both Hermione and Sirius recognized.

"Harry, stop now," Hermione ordered gently. Sirius was taken care of, but Harry was not. She could see cuts and scrapes on him that looked nasty, and she was worried about other wounds she might not have seen. "Come with me, we need to get you to the Hospital Wing to get patched up. You only have a few injuries, but if you don't get healed soon, they aren't going away. I'll explain more when we are alone." He nodded and gripped her hand tightly. The walk up to the Hospital Wing was tense, with Sirius leaving to go to the Tower, pulling Remus with him.

Madam Pomfrey did a full check up on him, healing his cuts and telling him he needed to eat more. She then let Lily and James 'visit' him while she checked up on Hermione, pulling the curtain across so the boys wouldn't see her take off her robes. Lily was sitting next to Harry, both examining the other with identical green eyes. They were the same age, or rather, Harry was older, but she still felt a deep maternal instinct toward him. Cautiously, she reached out and stroked his hair. He flinched, away from her touch, looking up at his eyes on her face.

"How much did Hermione tell you about my life?" he asked, apprehensive.

The expression on Lily's face told him before she answered. "Almost all of it. One day she was in one of her moods, she spent an entire afternoon talking about you. She told me all about your life, your Hogwarts years. She also told me about my sister." Lily frowned, but put her hand on Harry's. "I've taken care of that. We have a much better relationship now Hermione got us talking again. If something happens to James and me, and for some reason a child of ours goes to her, I'm sure she would treat them well."

She looked down at the boy who was a strange mix of stranger/son. "My mother used to stroke my hair like that when I was little," she said in a low voice. "It always made me feel safe. I always said I'd do the same for my children."

Harry nodded, squeezing his mother's hand. "Thank you," he said, giving her a wary smile.

He let the moment rest, trying to listen to what Madam Pomfrey was saying. Through the curtain he could see the outline of Hermione's body, and wondered when she had gotten so thin. The baby pudge she had at age twelve had long since dissolved, but the new outline was unsettling.

"Miss Granger, you only weigh a little over a hundred-ten pounds. I thought I told you eat?" The matron's chiding voice carried.

Harry identified the little huff as Hermione's favorite expression of polite exasperation."I have been eating. The effects of the dimensional travel means my body is frozen. I can't gain weight and I can't heal. Didn't Dumbledore tell you?"

"No. That man... So that's why your wound hasn't healed as much as it should have. I'm sorry I can't do anything else with that one, as the knife was spelled for pain and festering. I've cleaned out the infection, but the wound is going to bother you for some time. You have strict instructions not to get injured, Miss Granger."

"And Harry? How is he?" There was genuine concern in her voice, so different yet so similar to the untold number of time she had asked the same question, decades in the future.

"The man is fine. He is recovering from some nasty Dark Magic though, one that has been restricting his growth for most of his life. You are free to go Miss Granger. Remember to put this on your knife wound and this on the scar on you chest."

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey," Hermione called over her shoulder. "Harry, we can go now. I'm sure you're tired."

Harry stood up, walking over to her, pushing her hair back from her face. "Hermione? What knife wound?"

She winced. "You heard?"

"Yes. Show me?" She blushed and nodded, pulling off her robe and lifting the side of her sweater to show the grisly wound. "Oh, 'Mione. How did that happen?" He gently ran his hand over her stomach, feeling her muscles tense. He was shocked to see that if he wanted to, he could have counted her ribs. Why was she so thin? She had looked similar when he had seen her for brief moments at Malfoy Manor but- She had said something about not gaining weight. Perfect.

She looked at the floor, trying not to meet his eyes. "Voldemort. He was trying to stab you with it."

"So you leap in front of it?" He pulled her gently into his arms. "I knew there was a reason I love you," he whispered into her ear, raising her chin so she was looking into his eyes. "But if you ever do that again, I'll-"

"Mr. Potter?" Both James and Harry turned around, then looked at each other and grinned. They looked so alike, they could have been twins. The only difference was Harry was more heavily muscled and had more scars. And of course, the eyes.

Hermione pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind to address Dumbledore, who had just entered the Hospital Wing. Hermione smirked a bit when she saw the unsettled look on Dumbledore's face when he took in the expression of hatred and disappointment on Harry's countenance. "Ah, Mr. Harry Potter. I came to see how you were. You are in a much better condition than Miss Granger here was when she arrived. I am quite pleased to see out calculations were correct. Do-"

Hermione cut in. "Professor Dumbledore, I have told you before the Dumbledore in our dimension is not on our good side. Recently I have discovered he is more of a crook than I had thought. Please tell us Harry's cover story, and we will leave."

Everyone looked at her in surprise, but Hermione kept her gaze on Dumbledore. He cleared his throat, and spoke nervously, glancing between Harry and Hermione. "Well, Mr. Potter is similar enough to James to pass for cousins, if not brothers. Perhaps he could be your cousin, who had been schooled with Miss Granger until now, and he is a refugee as well?" They all looked at each other, and Harry nodded at James.

"I'll write my parents to tell them we have a mysterious new cousin. See ya," James got out of there as fast as he could, dragging Lily behind him.

After one final confirmation, Harry and Hermione left, with only one more comment from Harry to Dumbledore. "Sir, I want you to remember something in the coming years. Please don't do anything Ariana would not be proud of," and Harry and Hermione left the Hospital Wing.

Harry put his arm around Hermione, reveling in the fact he could now do that. It had been a crazy night for Harry James Potter. He had discovered he was a Horcrux, died, defeated Voldemort, been transported to another dimension, found his best friend who had been missing for almost three months, kissed her, met his parents and dead godfather, and found out in this dimension his godfather currently hated him.

After Hermione disappeared, chaos had broken out in Malfoy Manor. Harry had a huge burst of accidental magic, Apparating himself through the wards at the Manor and the wards at Shell Cottage, where Ron, Neville, and Luna were hiding. Harry had collapsed and been unresponsive for several days, being unable to believe Hermione was gone. It had hurt to much to stay awake, so he slept. Finally, a long talk with Luna had brought him to his senses. He had gone through the motions, hunting down Horcruxes, ending up fighting at Hogwarts. After Snape died, he found out he was meant to die. This actually made him feel better, reckoning he would be with Hermione soon. However, when he twisted the Resurrection Stone in his hand, Hermione did not appear. This disheartened him, and he went to meet death with no fear. After a long discussion with Dumbledore, he realized he was in love with Hermione. When he looked back on their times together, he realized she probably loved him too. With that knowledge, he had defeated Voldemort, winning the Elder Wand. As soon as Tom was dead, Harry experienced pain, and a burst of power, the weakening effect of the Horcrux gone for the first time in sixteen years.

He had looked up at the crowd, Death Eaters falling clutching their arms. The last thought to run through his head was that it was so like Voldemort to make sure all his followers died with him. Then he was in a tunnel, glowing with light, and he could see several openings and people moving in them, as if they were portals. The gold light surrounding him was directing him toward a portal in which he could see what looked like the lake at Hogwarts. He fell through, landing on his feet, wand drawn and ready.

He had seen motion to his side, and was ready to blast the person away when he recognized the curly mane of mahogany hair, that face which had haunted his dreams for months. He almost couldn't believe it when she threw herself into his arms and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close to his body as he could. He was vaguely aware of saying her name over and over again, feeling her face soak his shirt. She was so frail in his arms, unsubstantial. It was almost too much for him to smell that flowery scent he had first noticed that summer at the Burrow, to hear her repeating his name and holding him as tight as he as holding her.

He loved the feeling of having her body pressed against hers, but wanted to see her face again, to run his eyes over her features. He pulled away, looking deep into her eyes, losing himself for a moment. That was the moment he realized she loved him too. He bent down (When had she gotten so tiny? When had he grown?) putting his lips by her ear, relishing the small shiver she gave. "I love you so much Hermione." And then he had kissed her, one arm around her lower back, pulling her to him, his other hand holding her face. Her eyes were wide and amazed, and then she was melting into him. He pulled away, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear as to better see her eyes.

"Harry-" she stopped. He waited, doubts going through his mind. He was sure he had read her wrong, he was right, she had preferred Ron- then she said she loved him, pulling him down to her. His world came crashing into place, and he was looking at her, noticing things he hadn't allowed himself to notice before. He didn't know when she grew breasts, hips, when her face had lost the roundness of childhood, and he took it in now, kissing her, feeling her kiss him back. He was aware he had to bend to kiss her, so to solve that he picked her up, moaning and attacking her mouth afresh when she wrapped her legs around his waist. He vaguely noticed she was wearing a pair of jeans and a heavy sweater, one he remembered well.

It had been a few nights after Ron had stormed out. Hermione had been very depressed, furious with Ron and close to giving up on Harry. The radio had been on, Harry's tribute to his missing friend. Spontaneously, he stood up and asked her if she wanted to dance. A fun and silly night had followed, ending in laughs and fun. They had collapsed on to the single bed, Hermione's. They both fell asleep, waking together in the morning. Later that day, Harry had suggested going to Godric's Hollow.

A small arm snaking around his waist brought his attention back to the present, and the woman who was under his arm. He pulled her closer to him, feeling that is was finally sinking in that he was with his 'Mione. He was with her, and that was what counted.

They walked in silence, just taking comfort in each other until they reached the fourth floor. Hermione stopped, surprising Harry. "Harry? Can we sit down for a moment?"

"Uh.. Sure. Why?" He looked down at her and saw her face was pale, and again he was struck by how different she looked.

"Before he cast the spell, Tom stabbed me. We can't heal here, so every once in a while the wound opens and bothers me. Madam Pomfrey had to fix it about once every two weeks, and I need to sleep before the healing sinks in. So after a night's rest I'll be fine for another couple weeks." Harry was still looking worried, but color was coming back to her face. He bent down to the window seat where she was sitting.

"Get on my back," he said grinning. He knew she wouldn't agree easily, and was right.

"Harry, I'm too hea-"

"Hermione, you look like a gust of wind could blow you away. I'm tired, and you're tired, and our beds are on the seventh floor. I'll give you a piggy-back. Please, 'Mione?" He gave her the puppy dog eyes, and she agreed. Halfway there, she felt better, so she walked again, but when they were only a few feet away, he swept her up, bridal style to get them inside the Common Room. His excuse was he wanted to hold her, just to reassure himself she was really there, and she was so happy to be near him she agreed with no arguments.

It was nice having him carry her, and all too soon they were at the portrait hole. The Fat Lady looked at them in surprise, opening when Hermione gave the password. Harry stepped into the Common Room, stopping when he saw his mother and the Marauders, minus Peter, arguing. They all stopped and looked at Harry, who was still carrying Hermione, then Sirius stalked off, with James going after him. Remus waved his goodnight, going up the stairs after his friends.

Lily approached them just as Harry was putting Hermione down, grabbing her hand as soon as her feet touched the ground. He didn't want to let go of her for any reason, and rather liked the feeling of her tiny hand in his palm. They had always held hands, or hugged, but now it felt like it had more meaning. However, Harry still wasn't sure what they were...

Lily rested a hand on Harry's arm, speaking softly, wincing when she heard a door slam above. "I'm sorry, Harry. Sirius is still upset. You are going to be sleeping up with the boys. They have an extra bed since James gave Frank the Head Suite. James wanted to stay with his friends, like me. Goodnight, Harry, Hermione." She finished, heading up the stairs.

Hermione sat down on one of the sofas, pulling Harry down with her. "We need to talk, Harry. About what you need to know here, about what we are going to have to say, about- us."

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**Okay! Harry is officially here! I'm laughing here, because that was the soppiest thing I've ever written. But did you like it? That is the question.**

**Next chapter is the big discussion. However, that is not going to be published for a while. I need to write. I only have 500 words of Chapter 13 written. That, and my break is over. School on Monday, yay! (not) So there will be a little break. Probably only until Wed. or Thurs. Okay? I have to focus on school work to stay at the top of my class. This is a hobby, not real life. However, I will not abandon this story. I love it and you guys too much. And the reviews are great motivation to continue.**

**About Reviews: IF YOU ARE GOING TO FLAME LEAVE AND STOP READING NOW. I WILL REMOVE THE FLAME AND BAN YOU FROM THIS STORY! Other than that, please Review. It gives me inspiration. Thank you to all my lovely reviewers!**

**Question From Readers: About the book, it was a not-very-well thought out way for me to get information to you. My reasoning was that they are frozen to make sure they can sufficiently fill the gap they left in their dimension. A girl who leaves at age 19 and returns at age 43, gaining about a hundred pounds would not fit back into the gap she left. Therefore they are frozen.**

**Last question: I read all the profiles of my reviewers. And some of you have hilarious stuff on them I would love to incorporate into dialogue. If you don't mind, leave me a review with you permission. (no PMs. Paranoid parents who love me(; ) I will make sure to say that it comes from your profile. Thank you! Please give me permission.**

**Love and sorry for the long AN. Review to give me inspiration and vote to give me ideas. Poll will be down in two days. Thank you!**

*****Edited. Thanks to those who read this for putting up with my run ons and horrid grammar. Sorry. I was wincing the entire time.*****


	12. Conversation

**Here you go! Chapter 12, new and shiny! This was an easy chapter to write, but 13 is giving me a hell of time. It's like being consipated- it hurts like hell and you produce crap very slowly. (Thumbs up if you know where I got that from!) School is giving me hell (five hours of homework a night. IB is hell on earth. Satan is seriously pissed he didn't have input on it) but I am trying to find time to write. **

**Btw, only 18 reviews for 11 when I had 27 for 10? Seriously people? HARRY comes and you don't review? Make it up to me. Maybe that was why I had problems writing this week. Reviews make me want to write! I check them radomly during class when I'm supposed to be taking notes! (Not the best idea. I'm prolly gonna fail my World Geo quiz):)**

**Poll was lovely, with the decisions going into chapter 13. Chapter is dedicated to the lovely Harry's My Boy. Happy Birthday! Hope you enjoy, and think of this as a birthday present!**

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Harry looked a little stunned. "Okay. What do I need to know?"

Hermione blushed a bit. "Well, we are refugees. Try not to show how well you know Hogwarts. Try not to react too violently when you see people who are dead. Some of the teachers are the same, but don't be cheeky with them because they don't know you, so they won't take it well. Right now, I have a tutoring session for some students, most of whom are future Death Eaters. I've been trying to build good relationships with future Death Eaters to get them to not become Death Eaters. So far, two people who will not be Death Eaters are Peter and Snape. Well, Snape is going to spy. He's working with Dumbledore to get Occolomency lessons."

Harry looked angry. "You've been friendly with Snape?" After all he had learned today, he still could not find it in his heart to feel any sympathy for the man who had hated him and his father.

She sighed. "Yes, Harry. Right now, he's not the bitter, evil, git who heard the prophecy. He's a nice boy who is a little lost but wants to do the right thing. Sev is going through a lot right now, Harry. Did you know he and your mother used to be good friends?"

Harry nodded. That had been one of the smaller revelations of the past twenty-four hours. The biggest was that Hermione loved him, which was closely followed by learning he was a Horcrux. "Yeah. I learned alot about Snape. He really loved my mother."

Hermione nodded. "I know. He's gotten over her, well, at least a bit. So be nice to all Slytherins. And maybe you could help with the tutoring?"

Harry agreed, and asked what had been bothering him for a while. "Hermione? What am I going to do for clothing? I don't have anything-"

Hermione just laughed. "Of course you do, silly. I have my beaded bag and the trunk, plus I bought some stuff for you at Hogsmeade. I thought you'd grow some more, so I got them long. I'll just have to see if I have to hem them at all. I also got your books and other things you'll need. Okay?"

It was Harry's turn to laugh. "Okay. I should have known you'd take care of everything 'Mione. That's so like you," and before he could stop himself, he pressed his lips to the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo.

Hermione's heart leaped at the intimate gesture, and she couldn't repress a smile. However, her smile faded from her face when she forced herself to ask the question that had been plaguing her all night. "Harry? What's, well, us? Are we a couple, or-"

"Hermione, I thought I made it clear when I told you I loved you. When you disappeared, I was almost comatose for days. After Dobby made me leave you at the Manor, I almost destroyed Shell Cottage. I eventually had a long talk with Luna, and with her help, I realized I loved you. It was my love for you that defeated Voldemort. I fully intend to make you my girlfriend, if not fiance when we return. Or if we can't return, as soon as we graduate. So if you love me too, I'd say we are most definitely a couple, 'Mione." Harry looked a little nervous when almost asked for reaffirmation of her love. But by the end of his little speech, he had hold of her chin, and was tilting her face up so she'd look at him.

"Of course I love you Harry. Ever since the troll. Of course, I didn't realize it 'till-" Harry stopped her, brushing her lips with his.

"As long as you love me. I want you to know I love you more than anyone else in the world. You are my 'Mione, my one and only. So, will you be my girlfriend?" Harry was dangerously close to her lips again, but she couldn't break his gaze.

"Yes. But only if you kiss me again." Harry chuckled and merged his lips to her, feeling her melt against him, holding her face in his hands, feeling her small palms moving against his chest. This time it was her who pulled away, and Harry groaned. "Tease," he said, pouting at her.

She just shook her head and gave his lower lip a kiss. "What about Ginny?"

Harry looked at her a put a fake confused face on. "Ginny who?" he asked before wondering if she was still as strong as she was before, from carrying all those books.

She smacked his chest, and he rubbed it. Yep, she was still the same Hermione with the wickedly strong arms. "I'm being serious, you prat," she said, and Harry regretted teasing her. She was genuinely concerned, and he realized he hadn't been there when Ginny got together with Dean.

"She's with Dean now. We are thoroughly broken up, Hermione. You have nothing to worry about." Harry was about to kiss her again when she shook her head.

"Why me? Why me when you could have a beauty like Ginny? Why the bushy haired buck toothed bookworm who you've known since you were eleven?" Hermione was looking at the ground, as if she was afraid to look at him.

"Why Ginny? Why should I have a mean, money-grubbing, fan-girl who was scared to speak to me for years and is in love with the Boy-Who-Lived when I can have a gorgeous, curly haired, brilliant woman who has saved my life countless time through her intelligence, and is one of about five living people who love the real Harry Potter? Why not my best friend who had never abandoned me or betrayed me, who matured into a beautiful young woman who would give her life for me? Why not my 'Mione?" This time she allowed him to kiss her briefly, pulling away to ask another question.

"Harry, why now? Why not at the Yule ball, or any other time?" She was determined to get answers, so Harry thought a bit about it.

"Well, I always thought you fancied Ron, and Ron told me he fancied you. He told me he was sure you fancied him too, so I every time I noticed you were a girl, I ignored it." By the expression on her face he knew he had given the wrong answer.

"You thought I fancied Ronald Bloody Weasley? Over you? How did him insulting me to make me cry or shout at him love? Or even a crush? Bickering is not friendly. The only reason I was his friend was because you seemed to like him for some reason. Do you remember the first time he said more than ten words to me? It was right before I ended up in a bathroom with an angry troll, which you had to rescue me from. Don't you ever think I could possibly love Ronald-"

"Bloody Weasly. Thank God, Hermione. You don't know how long I've wanted to hear that. If not for Ron, I think we would have been together since the Yule Ball. Is there anything else you want to ask?" She thought for a moment, then nodded, looking oddly shy.

"Can we sleep down here tonight? I think I'd go crazy if I had to be away from you for the entire night. And I doubt you want to deal with Sirius now," she said, looking up to see Harry grinning broadly.

"Sounds brilliant to me, 'Mione. Knew there was a reason I kept you around for so long," he said, kissing the top of her head again. Do you want to change into you're pajamas?" He asked, wondering if she had his pajamas.

"Sure, I'll bring you down a pair of boxers and pair of flannel pants. Do you wand a shirt too?" She was surprised to see she was hoping he'd say no. She wasn't ready for anything, and wanted to be married before progressing beyond heavy petting. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time she saw Harry without a shirt on...

"Nah. Do you want me to Transfigure a blanket?" Hermione nodded, the crept up the stairs. She came down ten minutes later, tossing Harry a small bundle, waiting for him to go change before realizing he was staring at her. She blushed, then looked down assessing her appearance. She was wearing his old Quidditch jersey and a pair of blue shorts.

"What?" she asked him, releaved that nothing was showing. Her hair was in a tight braid and she was barefoot.

Harry shook his head and smiled. "It's weird to see you in my jersey. You look beautiful in it."

She blushed again, and thanked him, letting him go a bit up the stairs to change. She looked at the couch they had selected, the one closest to the boy dorms, near the fire and the corner of the room. She enlarged the couch, making it big enough for two. Harry came down the stairs and slid in first, holding open his arms so she could snuggle up next to him. She kissed him gently, turning so she was facing the fire. "G'night Harry."

"G'night 'Mione." He yawned, and drapped an arm around her, bringing her closer to him. They had done this once before, in the tent. That had been an awkward morning, but Harry was certain that this experience would be much better.

* * *

"Awww. They look so cute!" Harry moaned, and pulled Hermione closer. He was immensely relieved when he assessed his hands and found they were nowhere dangerous. He knew Hermione's skill with a wand, and had been told often enough that she was like Lily in that aspect. He had no plans to be on the other side of those wands.

Speaking of wands, around his neck in the moleskin pouch he had his old wand. He was confident the Elder Wand could heal his wand. He was slowly drifting off to sleep when he heard a yell.

"WHAT THE BLOODY-"

"Sirius! You'll wake them up!" Lily was admonishing the boy.

"Too late," Harry yawned, stretching. "I'm already awake. 'Mione?"

He was greated with a mumbled "Too early," before Hermione turned around and curled into his chest.

He chuckled, sitting her up in his lap. "Mione. Time to get up."

Immediately she bolted awake. "Harry! You're here! I thought I was dreaming-"

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Nope. You can't get rid of me that easily." She pulled his head down when she heard James clear his throat.

"Oh dear," she sighed when she saw the angry face of Sirius and the annoyed face of Remus. James was laughing and Lily was smiling.

Lily was the first to speak. "You too looked so cute. Hermione, I swear that is the first time I've ever had you sleep in longer than me. You sleep better than you have in months!"

Hermione yawned. "Yep. I had my own personal teddy bear. Same model as yours, but with green eyes." Lily laughed, and James pouted.

"I am _not_ a teddy bear. I am-" He took in the glares of Lily and Hermione, and sighed. "I am a, a, personalized teddy bear?"

Remus laughed. "No. You should be saying 'I am whipped.' Those girls have complete control over you," he said, gasping with laughter. Lily and Hermione turned their glares to him, and he stopped laughing. "I mean, of course you are a teddy bear!"

Lily put her hands on her hips. "Yes he is. He is my teddy bear. Understand?" All the boys made a show of agreeing with her. Hermione just laughed at Harry's antics. Lily turned to her and winked. "We've got them so well trained. Are you guys hungry?"

Hermione started to shake her head but was stopped by Harry. "You have to eat Hermione."

"Harry-"

"No 'Mione. Please. For me."

"Fine."

Four sets of eyes met Harry's in amazement. "How on Earth did you do that?" Remus asked.

Harry shrugged. "Do what?"

"Make her agree to eat?" Harry looked at Hermione.

"Have you been refusing to eat?" He picked up her arm, showing her. "Hermione, I know it doesn't do anything, but if we get back we'll need to eat. Uh, do you know when we get back?"

She nodded, still sleepy. "Yeah. June 21st. Summer solstice. I need to go change Harry," she said, yawning through most of it. She stood up, and walked to the girl dorms.

Harry leapt off the couch, running after her. "Wait, Hermione. Can you get me some clothes and a toothbrush?"

"Sure. One sec," she said heading up the stairs. Two minutes later she came down, giving Harry a small trunk. "That has all your stuff in it. I'll hem the clothes that need hemming later," she said before heading up the stairs. Harry went up to the boys dorm and showered and dressed, happy to find that most of the clothes fit him perfectly.

When he got downstairs, more people were out and about, the Marauders and Lily talking by the fire. He walked over to them, sitting down in the armchair Lily had just vacated in prefrence for James' lap. "So..." he began, unsure of where to start.

Remus smiled at him. "Hi Harry. It may seem weird, but we know a lot about you. Hermione told us just about everything except that you were her boyfriend."

Harry blushed, looking surprisingly like James when he had first started to date Lily, and was teased by his friends. "She didn't leave that out. That happened last night."

He was surprised when James whooped. "Is that all that happened last night Harry?" he asked, eyebrows wiggling.

Lily looked at Harry seriously. "If you hurt Hermione we all will have no choice but to hurt you. You know that, right?" Harry nodded at his mother, then glared at his father.

"I know that. And nothing happened last night. She just didn't want to be alone," he said, sighing. He smiled when he arms around his neck, guessing who it was.

"He's right. I didn't want to be alone," Hermione said, going around the chair to perch herself on Harry's lap. "And like I said, he's a great teddy bear."

Sirius just glared at Harry, saying in a sarcastic voice, "Well, now that the lovebirds are ready, can we go eat?" Hermione and Lily stood up, and Hermione grabbed Padfoot's arm, pulling him over to an unoccupied corner of the Common Room.

"Sirius Orion Black, I am disapointed in you. Need I remind you of what you promised me in October?" Sirius looked down and shuffled his feet.

"No, Hermione. But you-" he started, but was cut off my Hermione's icy voice.

"But I what?" Wisely, he just shook his head. "Good. It is none of your buisness what I do and who I do it with. Harry is my boyfriend, who I warned you about, so you are going to go apologize to him now. Then you are going to be perfectly civil toward him during breakfast. Got it?"

"Yes, Hermione." With that, they left and headed back to the group, Hermione going directly to Harry, who put an arm around her shoulders.

"Now that that is taken care of, let's go eat!" she said in a cheerful voice. Harry glanced over at Sirius, who smiled weakly at him.

Harry shook his head. "Sorry, mate. I know when she uses that voice she gave you one of her 'you've been a bad dog' talks. Right?" Sirius nodded and winced when he saw the hand that went flying to the back of Harry's head.

"I have perfectly good hearing, Mr. Potter. Do that again, and I will be forced to defenestrate you. Understand?" Harry nodded.

"Of course, my dear. I have no desire to be thrown out a window at this height. Let's wait until we get to the first floor." The trek down to breakfast was a mild affair, with only one major drama involving Harry and James, all orchestrated to make Hermione smile. Smiling she did in abundance, surprising Remus at how beautiful she looked when she smiled with her lips and her eyes.

Breakfast amazed the Marauders. Harry and Hermione sat down at one end of the table and had their routine down pat. Harry poured her coffee while she did his orange juice, reaching for the eggs while Harry put two pieces of toast on both their plates. Hermione passed him the eggs, then reached for the bacon, putting three slices on Harry's plate, and two on hers.

At Lily's questioning look, they shrugged at the same time. "We've had seven years to get that down. Stop staring!" Hermione said, dipping her toast in her coffee. The other students sat down, cautiously getting their breakfasts together.

Lily poked James, whispering in his ear, "Look how good they are for each other. They are having a whole conversation without saying a thing. Those two are so in synic, they act like they are already married."

It was true, Hermione and Harry were having a conversation with guestures and glances, ending with Harry wiggling his eyebrows and Hermione bursting into laughter. Remus and Sirius looked at each other, Remus asking Hermione "What's so funny?"

Hermione, who was still trying to get her breath back, just shook her head. "Luna- hat- Quidditch," she gasped, laughing. That set Harry off, and the two of them were laughing while the rest of the table looked at them like they were crazy. "Never mind. It was something that happened last year. A friend of ours wore a giant lion on her head for Harry's big game."

James got an excited look on his face. "You know, I'm Quidditch Captain, and Hermione said you played Seeker. Right now, one of our Chasers wants off the team, and the Seeker we have now would rather play Chaser. Would you like on the team?" Harry agreed right away, and the two started an animated discussion about Quidditch. Sirius joined in after he finished eating, while Lily, Remus, and Hermione talked about books. Eventually, the group left the table and wandered back up to the Tower. It had snowed more in the night, so Sirius suggested a snowball fight. The rest of the group gave in when he started pestering them, so the girls went up the stairs to get ready.

"Sirius Orion Black, if shove snow down my back like you did last time, I'll set Harry on you. Understand?" Sirius nodded, while winking at James. He led the exodus to the snow, talking with Remus while the two couples walked together. That is, until Harry decided to tickle Hermione, just to hear her laugh. Before long, he was chasing her through the halls, her laughing and giggling, trying to escape his magic fingers. They were almost outside when Hermione almost ran into McGonagall.

"Mr. Potter! Miss Granger!" She admonished them, lips set in a thin line.

"Yes, Professor," they said at the same time.

McGonagall looked at them, Hermione with red cheeks and a happy smile, Harry with a cheeky grin, looking identical to James. Then, unexpectedly she smiled, saying, "Please refrain from running in the halls. Because you are new Mr. Potter, I will not punish the two of you, only because it is high time I see Miss Granger smile. Continue this outdoors please," she finished, walking off, a slight smile on her face.

The two looked at each other, bursting out in laughter. That was how James and Lily found them, sitting together on the floor laughing. Harry stood up first, lifting Hermione easily and giving her a piggy-back ride for the rest of the trip. The snowball fight was brief, but fun, the group trooping up to the kitchens for hot chocolate and scones. Then the girls got piggy-back rides back to the Tower, Harry and James racing the the girl's on their backs. It was hilariously funny, Sirius and Remus making bets on who would win, Remus collecting ten Galleons from Sirius when Harry entered the Tower first.

Four o'clock found them in Gryffindor Tower, talking and playing games. Lily and Remus were playing chess, James, Sirius, and Harry playing Exploding Snap while Hermione read. House elves had brought more hot chocolate and cookies, and all were eating liberally. Harry lost too many times because he was watching Hermione, singing his eyebrows.

In a low voice, James asked what he was waiting for. Hermione had become the resident healer for the boys, mainly because she better at it than Remus. "Hermione has a system when she's eating and reading. She takes a bite at the beginning of each paragraph, and takes a drink at the end of the page. She grabs a new cookie at the end of a chapter. I'm waiting until she's done with the next page."

James and Sirius looked at each other, then at Harry. "How do you know all this about her?"

Harry just ran a hand through his hair. "We've been best friends for years. I rescued her from a troll, and from then on we've been saving each others lives at least once or twice a year. It works for us," he explained, going over to Hermione to ask her to heal his eyebrows. She did, cleaning his face, kissing him once shyly, sending him back to his game. All too soon it was time for dinner, interrupted by a visit from Max Vane, who delivered a schedule for Harry from Dumbledore. There was also a note giving permission for Harry and Hermione to go to muggle London on the next day. Dumbledore stated that Harry would need to get clothes and Christmas presents for his friends. He gave Hermione permission as well to make sure they returned to the school in time.

As soon as he finished reading the note, Harry grinned. "Hermione? Will you go on a date with me tomorrow?"

Hermione, who had also read the note, grinned and said, "Only if you kiss me again." He leaned over and gave her a kiss, while Sirius and Remus made retching noises.

"Enough with the PDA! You have all tomorrow for that stuff!" Sirius said. The rest of the night was very enjoyable, with Hermione and Harry falling asleep together on the couch. Lily put a few wards up around them and got a blanket from Hermione's room. Her reasoning was that she wanted Hermione to get a good night's sleep before her date.

The other Marauders snuck up stairs, Lily going alone to her empty dorm, pleased to have the room to herself for once.

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**How did you like it? Now please review, and don't tell me this isn't realistic. It's not supposed to be. The only people who can tell me this is not good are those I've dedicated previous chapters to. In case you haven't noticed, I dedicate chapters to people who review a lot with valid and reasonable reviews that make me smile and think. Review and have a chance!**

**Vote! Please vote at the poll I have up(sorry for those who read this earlier. Ff hates my guts.). I am wondering about this, as it could really change the direction of the story as it is now. Vote or be disappointed.**

**Love to all, review vote, give me inspiration, motivation, and tell me that 'Oedipus- the original motherfucker' as a paper topic is funny. It's a joke going around school right now. (If you have no clue what I'm talking about, review your mythology. )**


	13. The Date, Part 1

**Hello, my pretties. Welcome to Chapter 13, the dramatic London date. Although I had plenty of help from my readers, I most likely completely changed London around to fit this story. As far as I know, it does not have a- whoops. Almost told you what was going to happen. Read on!**

**Chapter is dedicated to Sparkling Brown Eyes, because yes, you are special. Thank you soo much. (To Charmed Night Skye and The ORIGINAL Meathead- you two were the very close runner ups. Sooo... review and find youself in possesion of a chapter.)**

**Poll: Okay, so sorry guys. I promise you a poll, then found it never appeared on my profile. It is up and running now, so go vote. Results are...**

**Romance: 5  
Action: 4**

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The next morning, Lily crept downstairs before everyone else was up, gently shaking Hermione awake. She put a finger to her lips to remind the younger girl that she needed to be quiet, then snuck back up the stairs.

Hermione kissed Harry lightly on the forehead, and eased herself out of his arms, following the path Lily had taken back up the stairs. She felt the excitment growing within her, and giggled slightly to herself. She was going on a date in London with Harry Potter!

When Hermione walked down the stairs again, laughing and joking with Lily, she looked magnificent. Hermione was dressed tasteful muggle clothes, a tight green long-sleeved shirt over a pair of dark, boot-cut jeans. Over that she had a long gray coat **(like the one in the seventh movie) **with shiny black boots under her jeans to complete 'the look' as Lily had said. Lily had done her makeup, smoky eyes and lip gloss. Hermione really didn't mind, and Lily had fun doing her hair and make up. Hermione wore her hair naturally, with only some Sleakeazy's to make it curly instead of unmanageable.

Harry looked up from the conversation he was having with Remus and James, stopping in the middle of a sentance to stare at Hermione. In the back of his mind he noticed Remus close his eyes and curse lightly, while James whistled. He just walked over to Hermione, taking her hand to help her down the last two steps, twirling her around while she giggled.

"You look lovely today Miss Granger," he said in a low voice. He smiled softly then bent down to kiss her.

She blushed, then laughed. "Maybe I even look like a girl?" Lily and Remus looked at each other, then James, who shrugged.

"Most definitely. Krum would be jealous of me right now." The two of them broke out in laughter, then went to sit down together.

Hermione looked Harry over appreciatively. "You look good. Did James lend you some clothes?"

Harry nodded. "Yep. And some money, which is good because I'm broke here."

Hermione gasped then put her hand to her lips. "Shite! I totally forgot you weren't filithy rich here. All your money belongs to the Potter family and the Blacks."

James just waved a hand. "Mum and Dad wrote back. They want to meet you at Easter, Harry, you too, Hermione. Dumbledore wrote them and explained your situation, so they know that you are their future grandkids. They set up a vault for you, and sent me fifty Galleons and a two hundred pounds for you to spend in London. They want you to take Hermione out to an expensive restaurant for dinner, at Club Gascon. So... here you go."

Harry laughed. "Are you going to leave me now? I'm not filthy rich now," he said in a joking voice, but Hermione knew him well enough to know he was a little hurt.

She leaned close to him to whisper in his ear. "You know very well I wouldn't dream of it Mr. Potter. The only reason I was concerned was that some of the plans I had concerning Voldemort and his horcruxes might require some expensive equipment. And don't worry, Bill went to Gringott's for me to withdraw some emergency money right before the wedding. I didn't get in out before now, because only a Mr. Harry James Potter can open it."

He turned his head to look at her. "Why didn't you get it out when we were in the tent?"

"Because I didn't have it. Ron found the sack and knew it had money in it. He took it from my bag, and I thought I had lost it. Then when he returned, I caught him putting it back in my beaded bag. I almost killed him, but he claimed life debt, because he saved your life and mine when he helped us with the troll and chess match." Hermione rested her head on Harry's shoulder. "What time is it?" she asked in a louder voice, seeing it was still dark outside.

"Around seven thirty. You guys are going to leave soon, right?" Sirius yawned, stumbling down the stairs. He was still a more than a little annoyed at Harry and Hermione, but wanted them out of the castle as soon as possible. It hurt him to see the two of them having fun and rejoicing in each other's presence. He collapsed in a long limbed heap on the nearest couch, stretching out his long legs. "Well?"

"Uh, yeah. Dumbledore should be by any moment now to pick us up." Hermione gave Harry an appraising look, smiling as she took in his outfit. He blushed under her scrutiny, shifting his feet. He was wearing a gray sweater with thin red and gold stripes, one that was a little too small for his muscles. His jeans were a dark wash, like Hermione's, and fit him well. He had a Gryffindor scarf on, as well as pair of gloves tucked into his right pocket, along with a magically enlarged wallet.

"Not too bad, Mr. Potter. You sure do clean up nice," she said, a wicked look in her eye. "Then again-"

Harry swept her off her feet, and gave her a smoldering look with his deep green eyes. "Then what, Miss Granger?" Hermione found herself out of breath for a moment, then tried to start pulling her head back together. Just at that moment, Dumbledore stepped through the portait hole.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger. You will be Flooing out from this fire. Your destination is the Leaky Cauldron, and from there you will make your way to Muggle London. I expect you back in the castle by nine. Please-" Dumbledore was trying to play up the 'kindly grandfather' angle, but no one in the room was buying it.

"Where is the Floo powder, Professor?" asked James in an exhausted voice. He had enough of Dumbledore's charades, and was more than ready to have a day to discuss the travelers in their dimension. He wanted Harry and Hermione to have a pleasant day together, and he wanted to have a serious talk with his best friend.

Dumbledore blathered for a while longer, then handed over the Floo Powder to Hermione and Harry, who vanished into the green flames, excitement blazing in their eyes. As soon as Dumbledore left, James nodded at Lily and Remus, and they put their plan into action. James and Remus each grabbed one of Padfoot's arms. They frog marched him up to the dorms, with Lily following behind to make sure he would not run. When they got to the room, Sirius protesting and yelling the entire way up, they dumped him on Peter's bed. Lily bound him in ropes with a simple flick of her wand, and Remus silenced him with a jab from his. James stepped in front of the grumpy boy and crossed his arms.

"Sirius. Mate, you've been my best friend for seven years. That's why it's my job to tell you that you have to stop pursuing Hermione. She is Harry's and Harry is hers."

Remus cut in, shaking his head at Sirius. "Padfoot, you need to let it go and be happy for them. Harry adores you, or the you he used to know. Did you see how hurt he was when you refused to shake his hand?"

Sirius just raised an eyebrow and waited. The boys looked at each other, confused, before Lily pushed them out of the way and lifted the silencing charm on Sirius. "What do you have to say for your self?" she asked him while the boys behind her realized their mistake.

"I saw. It's kind of weird to have that kid- well, man really Harry's buff- to be looking at me as if the sun shines out my arse-" Both Remus and James broke out in laughter while Lily rolled her eyes.

"Correction mate," James gasped. "Harry thinks the sun shines out of Hermione's arse. But you-" He broke off, still rolling around in tears.

Lily shook her head, muttering, "boys," and crossed her arms. "Are you lot done yet?" Remus got his manly giggles down to a few chuckles. James straightened himself out after seeing the look on Lily's face. "Good. Sirius, can you promise us you won't chase after Hermione anymore?"

Sirius looked at the earnest faces around him and sighed. "Fine. I'll find some other bird to chase after. But how come no one has given this talk to Sinvellus yet?"

* * *

Harry and Hermione stumbled out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron, waving a greeting to the surprisingly young Tom. They stepped out the door of the dimly lit pub and into the hustle and bustle of everyday London. Harry held out his arm to Hermione, who took it with a smile. They walked down the street, talking and laughing about everything and nothing.

"So what did he say?"

"It was hilarious. He was like, "I crushed the ice. Now it's dead! I couldn't stop laughing. He was the cutest little kid ever."

"Do I need to be jealous?"

"Do I need to be jealous about your hoards of raging fan girls?"

The conversation ranged from their old school days to old jobs (Babysitting and dog watching for Hermione, lawn work and dog sitting for Harry) to mutual friends, Harry filling Hermione in for the months she had missed.

"Yeah, Neville and Luna. They make a great couple. In fact, they were supposed to go on a trip to Colorado in the US on a search for Crumple Horned Snorkacks. That, and Neville wanted to look for some rare kind of American plant." Harry took a turn to the right, deftly guiding Hermione through the crowded streets, looking for the cafe Remus had recommended.

"Everyone knows Neville would do anything for plants. What about Ron? Does he have anyone?" Hermione asked absentmindedly as she allowed Harry to guide her to a small table outside a nice little cafe.

"No. We haven't exactly had much time for girls between getting and destroying Horcruxes. But I bet he is rolling in fan girls right now." Harry replied, signalling a waiter. The two ordered, and they had a nice breakfast together, laughing and chatting, playing footsie under the table and casting discret warming charms on area around the table. They laughed when they realized the waiter had discovered their table was warmer than anyone else's, and made sure to stick around. They got the best service in the place.

Over hot coffee and warm pastries, Harry and Hermione discussed what they wanted to do for the rest of the day. They decided they wanted to go to a small strip mall, and left the restaurant, leaving a generous tip for the cold waiter. They hailed a cab, Harry holding the door open for Hermione to slide in.

"So, what do we need to get 'Mione?" Harry asked, basking in the arm air coming in from the cab's heaters. He looked down at his hand, fingers intertwined with Hermione's. He still got a small rush when he realized he was Hermione's boyfriend. He followed her arm up to her face, which was smiling.

"I'm going to say it again since I doubt you were paying attention. We need a few items of clothing for you, and we need presents for Lily and James. I already got a present from both of us to Sirius and Remus, so they are taken care of. I also wanted to get some protective clothing, for when we get the Horcruxes-" the look on Hermione's face made her stop. "Harry?"

"You're going to make me fight him again, Hermione?" He looked like such a lost little boy at that moment, Hermione felt an odd urge to pull his head to her breast and give him a comforting hug, and reassurance.

"Not if you don't want to. I'll never ask you to do anything you don't want to do." The words were sincere, and Harry relaxed. He gave her hand a small squeeze, and she squeezed his back. With a small smile and a kiss all was forgiven, and the couple soon left the warm cab for the cold London air to do their shopping.

"Never again 'Mione. I never want to see another store again." Harry collapsed on a small bench in the park near the last store they had visited, a small jewelry store to get a present for Lily. Two hours of shopping had left them with several seasonal clothes for Harry, some clothes for Hermione, a pretty necklace for Lily, and a James Bond boxed set for James. They had disappeared into an alley for a few minutes, and reappeared with a trunk full of shrunken bags in Hermione's beaded purse. They had walked to the park, where they sat down to rest there weary feet.

"I'm tempted to agree with you on that one, Harry. Are you hungry?" Hermione rested her head against his shoulder, heart leaping at both his warmth and the same scent he had always had.

"Yes! Where do you want to eat?" It took only a few moments for them to make a decision. The short walk to the small pub they had chosen was just enough to get them red cheeked and laughing, entering the pub with snow in their hair.

The middle-aged woman who greeted them smiled, taking in the pretty picture they made. Hermione's eyes were sparkling, and a wide grin was on her face. Her paleness was offset by her red cheeks, and her curly hair was back to its untamable state, curls and ringlets flying everywhere, dotted with specks of snow. Harry was also ruddy cheeked and grinning, arm around Hermione. His green eyes were snapping and his hair seemed just as wild, although considerably shorter than Hermione's. They looked like a young, carefree couple, handsome and in love.

They got a nice table near the back of the pub, warm enough for them to take off their coats. Harry quickly decided what he wanted, so he put his menu down and watched Hermione. The green shirt she was wearing had a low, wide neckline. It showed a good part of her shoulders and collarbone, as well as the very top of her breasts. She had very nice breasts, and that green shirt was stretched tight across them. He remembered what a sight it had been when he had seen her for the first time in the Leaky Cauldron, at the end of the summer before their second year. She was tan, smiling, and _curvy_. It had taken a moment for him to recover after she had thrown herself at him, and he had felt them against his chest.

When Hermione cleared her throat, Harry realized he had been staring. He felt his cheeks heat up, and timidly looked at her face. He relaxed minimally when he saw the smirk on her face. If she was smirking, she probably didn't want to kill him.

"Like what you see Potter?" she said, oddly pleased. He still looked like he was afraid she would kill him, and stuttered something. "I can't hear you," she teased in a light voice. It was strange to see Harry so embarrassed, and she was enjoying every second.

Harry, now reassured his head would remain attached to his neck, looked right into Hermione's eyes, deciding to tease her back. "Very much, Granger."

Now it was Hermione's turn to blush. She was surprised by the feeling of power it gave her to have Harry admire her body. She had never liked it much, and was still startled when she received a complement. It was amazing to realize that Harry thought she was a desirable woman. If anyone but Harry had done or said that, she would have an urge to cover her chest. It just made it clearer to her that Harry was the only one she could ever see herself with.

Harry grabbed her hand under the table and looked at her with concerned eyes. "I'm sorry Hermione, I didn't mean to offend you-"

She looked at him, puzzlement in her eyes. "What?"

"You didn't say anything. I was worried you were embarrassed, or mad at me." Harry explained.

"I'm not mad, Harry. It just took me by surprise that you-"

"Would do something like that? I promise, I'll try and control myself more," Hermione was touched. Harry was so worried he might have offended her, or damaged their relationship.

"You didn't let me finish, Harry. I like that fact you think my body is worth staring at. And that kind of teasing is perfectly acceptable between boyfriend and girlfriend. I might be embarrassed, but because it's you, I not angry or offended. If Ron had done that, I would have smacked him and made him apologize. Because I know you are not doing it to demean me, or purposely hurt me, I'm perfectly fine with it." Harry looked shocked, almost as much as he had looked when she had first caught him.

"Are you sure?" Hermione laughed and squeezed his hand.

"Yes, Harry. If I wanted you to control yourself more, I'd tell you." Harry gave her a grin of relief, that soon turned sneaky.

"So you don't want me to control myself Granger?" he asked, a wicked gleam in his eye. Hermione just shook her head and kicked him under the table.

"You're horrible. Now shut up, the waitress is coming." They ordered, Harry, fish and chips, and Hermione a steak salad. As soon as the waitress left, they were back to their previous conversation.

"You never answered my question, Hermione. Do you want me to control myself?" Harry gazed intently at Hermione, who was stalling for as long as she could, taking a sip of her lemonade, fiddling with her hair, bitting her lip.

"Harry, I'm not sure. Not yet. I know I want to wait a while for sex, and I know when I do take that step I want it to be with you. I don't know. I'm as new to this as you are. I'm sure I want to wait a bit, and I'm sure I want to be with you." Hermione looked anxious, so Harry took her hand again, over the table this time. He was rewarded, Hermione instantly calming down, just because of his touch.

"Whatever you want 'Mione. I would never force you to do anything. I've waited this long for you, and now I have you. If I have to wait another seven years for your body, I will. I would do anything for you." Hermione leaned over the table and kissed him gently.

"Thank you," she whispered to him, and he understood completely. When he was forced to leave her behind, he had almost destroyed Shell Cottage. His magic had always been connected to his emotions, and his rage and fear had overpowered the barriers formal training had given him. Luna, Bill, Fleur, and Ron had watched as his magic tried to burst through his skin, illuminating him from the inside, eyes blazing, hands glowing. Dobby had been beside himself, throwing himself against the walls. It was Luna who had calmed him down, pulling him outside. She murmured something, and he had felt sleep creeping up on him. When he awoke again, he was unable to move. He just kept imagining the horrors they must have been inflicting on Hermione, beatings, torture, rape.

He shook himself out of the bad thoughts, and returned his full attention to Hermione. "We'll need to talk more about this later, in a less crowded place, another time. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied, and they both started laughing. When the food arrived, they took their time eating, enjoying the good food. They had finished their lunch, and were just finishing dessert, when their waitress came over.

She smiled at them, and patted Hermione's hand. "Do you see that old couple over there?" she asked them, pointing to a table three down occupied by a white haired man and a petite, wrinkled lady. "They want me to tell you that they are paying for your lunch. They thought you made such a cute couple and were so well behaved, you deserved it." Harry looked at Hermione, who smiled gently.

The waitress left, and Hermione scooped up the last piece of brownie and ice cream from the plate, with Harry's permission. They then walked over to the couple to thank them.

"Thank you, sir. That was extremely kind of you," Harry said in a low voice, shaking hands with the man. "My name is Harry Potter, and my girlfriend is Hermione Granger. We wanted to thank you for doing this, and explain it really isn't necessary."

The man just scoffed and shook his head. "No, no. I'm Charles Fineworth, and this is my wife Maddy. It's not often we see a young person with such good manners, let alone two. You make a handsome pair, and you remind us of ourselves at that age. It is our pleasure to take you check. And I can assure you, it is not above our means. We are very well off, so don't worry yourself sonny."

Maddy looked at Hermione and smiled. "It's been a long time since I've seen a boy that good. Keep him and don't let him go. That goes for you too, dear," she added, turning to Harry. "Keep her and don't let her go. A beauty like that will be snapped up in no time, by a boy who doesn't deserve her."

After talking a little more, Harry and Hermione left the small pub, walking back to the park. The snow was covering the ground, and the sky was already starting to darken. It was mostly deserted, park goers held back by the cold and snow. The cobbled paths were lined with street lights, and wandered through the snow to several small benches and gazebos. The conversation flowed, and they walked hand in hand down the paths, ending at an unoccupied gazebo.

Harry brushed the snow off two of the seats, and they sat down, Harry casting discreet Notice-Me-Not and warming spells around the small area. He then went back to the seats and put his arm around Hermione, who snuggled up to him. They were silent for a few moments, not needing to talk, comfortable in the silence. Harry traced small patterns on Hermione's arm, and Hermione just rested her head on his chest.

Hermione was the one who broke the silence. "Harry? I'd like to try something. Can you answer some questions of mine?"

Harry was a bit wary, but he trusted his girlfriend. "Sure. Anything."

"Do you know my favorite color?"

"Periwinkle. Next?"

"Do I like thunderstorms?"

"Yes. You like the rain, which makes you a good kind of sad, and you like the thunder and lightening, which scares you. Next?"

"Do I like rollarcoasters?"

"Gods no. You absolutely hate the 'infernal contraptions' as you told me a long time ago. Next?"

"What is my favorite sport?"

"Hockey. Next?"

"My favorite food?"

"Baked potato. Beverage is coffee. Gemstone, sapphire. Hermione, what's the point of this?"

Hermione smiled into his shirt. "To prove to myself you know me better than I know myself."

Harry smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Of course I do. I've been your friend for seven years."

Hermione sat up and looked at him. "Could Ron have answered those questions?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably for a moment, then shook his head no. "Ron probably couldn't answer them about me either. It doesn't mean anything."

It was Hermione's turn to refuse. "No. It does matter. You've been my best friend for seven years, and I know a lot about you. I could tell you all the stuff you've just told me. I guess I just wanted to reassure myself, that, well, that nothing has changed."

Harry groaned, and pulled Hermione closer to him until she was on his lap, and held her tight. "We've both changed. A lot. I've completed my purpose on Earth. I've defeated my arch enemy. And you, who knows what happened to you at Voldemort's hands." He buried his head in her hair, comforting himself with her scent.

"Do you want to know what they did to me?" she asked softly. She wasn't sure she could do it, if he asked. It was still raw, fresh in her brain. However, her parents had drilled into her head that talking about a problem was the best way of getting over it. If he wanted to know, she would tell him.

Harry thought it over for a moment. "Yes. I think I do. Do you want to know more about me?"

"Yes. I think so."

"Okay. Want me to go first?"

Hermione shook her head, sitting up. "Nah. If I don't do it now, I don't think I'll be able to."

Hermione took a deep breath, and opened her mouth.

* * *

**Soo... what did you think? Did you love it hate it? Speaking of hate, there are some haters out there. People are telling me that my story sucks and that I should take it down or never update again. I really hate flamers. I just block them from reading and reviewing and delete the review. AND if you want to flame, at least do it signed in. It is so cowardly to give a flame anon. **

**So, vote at my (up and running- promise) poll, and review. I need some smiles, because I have a major English test today. I love English, but I absolutely hate that I am not ever given enough room to write a full answer. **

**QUESTION: Are you bothered by the amount of kissing Harry and Hermione do? In the next few chapters, they kiss. A LOT. So tell me if you are uncomfortable with HHr love.**

**REVIEW! VOTE! If you can get me to 250, I'll give y'all a special treat. **


	14. The Date, Part 2

**Here is Chapter 14. Hope you enjoy it. I was in a _really_ bad mood when writing this. Maybe you can tell?**

**Poll has Romance winning, 21 to 8. So, for now, Romance is the way the story is going to go.**

**This chapter is dedicated to... Charmed Night Skye. Love you all very much. **

**This chapter, four days early, is your reward for getting me to 250, and beyond. You are all amazing. Think you can try for 300? It would make my day, and make the next chapter less angsty. **

**(For whom it may concern- I made 106 on my English test! and Korea is freakin' awesome. My Grandpappy is from there:)**

* * *

Even though she thought she was ready, Hermione could not bring herself to start. She bowed her head unable to look at Harry. "I'm sorry. It's just so-" Harry pulled her down to his lap and hugged her tightly.

"I know. It's hard. But if you don't, it's gonna fester. Are you sure you don't want me to go first?" Hermione leaned back in his warmth, resting her head on his shoulder.

"No. I'm okay." Taking a deep breath, she got off Harry's lap, turning to face him and pulling her knees up to her chest. "So, I guess I'll start at the beginning. When we were taken to the Manor, they took you and Ron down to the dungeons, and they kept me up there. Bella Crucio'd me for about two seconds, asking me about everything, but mainly the sword. It hurt Harry. It hurt so bad. I never realized how much the Crutiatus hurts before she used it on me. Then the goblin was brought up, and said the real sword was a fake. She got really mad, and hit me with the curse again. Then you and Ron were taken away by Dobby, and I was alone with her and the Malfoys. They had already called Voldemort, and apparently he was far away, because it took him about an hour to get to the Manor." Hermione stopped, and looked at Harry, looking into his eyes for the first time. He looked crushed, but he smiled weakly at her and used his thumbs to brush the tears off her face.

"When Voldemort got to the Manor, he was elated, really happy until he found out you had escaped. He got really mad, and tortured Lucius for about two minutes, then Draco. He didn't really do anything to Bellatrix, but he made it clear he was really unhappy with her. He was a little happier when he saw me, and he bound me with a spell, and did something else to take off all my clothes, except my underwear." She stopped again, this time because of Harry's expression.

"He didn't, he didn't rape you Hermione? Please tell me he didn't!" Harry whispered hoarsely, gripping Hermione's hand tightly. "If he did because I left you behind I'll- I'll- I'll-" he couldn't continue.

"No. He didn't. No one did. There were some who wanted to, but Tom told them that it would be below them to 'sully themselves with this disgusting piece of mudblood filth' and that 'if they wanted pleasure to go to one of the Death Eater women, who would be appropraite parters' so they didn't do anything. He just took that knife and teased me with it. He threatened to cut out my eyes, or chop off my fingers or toes, or my breasts, if I didn't tell him anything." Hermione looked like she was in another world, eyes glassy and looking back on the past.

"He cut me with the knife and threatened to do all sorts of things to me with it. He threatened to feed me to his snake. He was furious when I refused to say anything. He Crucio'd me for a few minutes, then tried to use Legilemency on me."

Harry looked horrified. "But you didn't know Occulomency!" he exclaimed.

Hermione shook her head. "You really think that with all those books I read trying to help you with Snape I wouldn't have tried to learn it myself?" she asked him, slightly amused. "I learned more over the summer, from Dumbledore. He was trying to use Legilemency on me, and I had some shields up. He gave me some advice, and tested me by testing my shields randomly. I was no match for Voldemort, but there are spells that can erase certain memories with key words, and return them with other key words. I keyed it to a certain phrase, so that if I said it myself it would erase or return any memories that had to do with you or the Horcruxes. I knew they were missing, and so did Voldemort. That was probably the maddest I had ever seen him."

Harry looked at her, impressed. "What was the phrase?"

Hermione blushed. "There are more important things," she mumbled. "Anyway, he left about two hours later, after ordering Bellatrix to keep me in the Manor and try and get information out of me as much as she could. The next month, he didn't come back. Very day she would try and get information out of me. She tried torture, starvation, dehydration, everything. She broke my left wrist and all the bones in my right hand with a few spells. When Tom found out, he was mad. He made her heal me. He told me he had a revelation, and that it wouldn't be in his best intrests to kill me right away. He told me he would use me for bait, and he did. Then more weeks of imprisonment, and then you came."

She tightened her grip on Harry's hand. "You know the rest."

He nodded. "I do. My turn?"

"Only if you want, Harry. Only if you want to."

He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "You're probably not going to be very happy with me."

Hermione laughed weakly, understanding completely. "I'll always love you Harry. No matter what you've done."

"Alright then. So, what do you remember?" he asked, realizing he was trying to stall just as much as she was.

"I remember you falling, then getting back up. Then, nothing," she said, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Well, after you disappeared, Voldemort laughed. Then he noticed me, and all hell broke loose. I know I got Bellatrix with a stunner, and I killed Dolohov. Then I got the hell out of there. I Apparted to Shell Cottage-"

Hermione interuptted. "Shell Cottage?"

Harry smacked his forehead. "I forgot you didn't know. I really should start from after Dobby, shouldn't I?"

Hermione giggled gently and nodded. "Okay, so after Dobby got me out, we were at Shell Cottage. It's Bill and Fleur's place, real pretty by the ocean. I started raging at Dobby, yelling my head off, and I started to glow. It was Luna who got me out of the cottage so I wouldn't wreak anything. I realized you were probably being tortured more, and I just froze. I collapsed, and really didn't move again for a few days. I was picturing you being raped, tortured..." he stopped for a moment, gazing off in thought.

"Well, after Ron and Bill laid into me a bit, I met with the Order, trying to get a rescue team to go after you. They wouldn't listen, and I was furious. They were convinced you were dead, and not really worth the effort. I left, and Ron, Luna, and I went hunting for more Horcruxes. It took about two months for Luna and Neville to convince Ron we should go after you. We did, and... you know. Well, like I said, after you left all hell broke out. I some how managed to Apparate through the wards at the Manor, to Shell Cottage. Then I collapsed again. I really thought I had lost you that time."

Harry grasped Hermione's hand tightly, just to reassure himself she was still with him. "I eventually had a long talk with Luna. She asked me a ton of questions, and at the end, she just told me, 'You love her' and I realized I did. You'll never believe it, but we stormed Gringotts Hermione."

She looked at him, amazed. "You what? I thought I just heard you say you stormed Gringotts. I know that is wrong, because no boyfriend of mine would even attempt something like that. Right Harry?"

He just smiled sheepishly. "We rode out with the Horcrux. On a dragon. It was bloody brilliant Hermione!" When she buried her head in her hands, he just kept on talking. "Well, we got most of the Horcruxes. The last ones were Nagini, the diadem of Ravenclaw, and me. Hogwarts was the sight of the final battle. Crabbe ended up finishing the Horcrux off, using FiendFyre. Neville killed the snake. And it was just me and Voldemort. He just shot the curse at me. I let it hit me, then I got up and dusted myself off. Then we went into the Prori Incantum, and I beat him. I took his wand, and killed him. Then I was taken here."

Harry looked down at Hermione, to see she was crying. He wiped away her tears, then looked in surprise at the drop that fell on her hair. He felt his face, and realized it was wet as well. For the next few moments, the two just held each other and wept.

By the time they had both finished, it had been almost two hours. It was dark, and the street lamps were lit, illuminating the cobbled paths. They just sat together for another few moments before getting up to walk around the park for a while. They had only been walking for about ten minutes when Harry stopped, breath catching. Hermione looked up, and saw the hedge maze that had been erected for the visitors of the park.

"Shite," she muttered, then turned Harry around and headed back the way they came. "Harry? Are you-"

"I'm fine. It's nothing." Harry snapped, looking contrite a moment later. However, he didn't apologize, and they walked in silence to the street where they hailed a cab to Club Gascon.

Dinner was lovely, with exquisite French cusine (and wine, as the bottle had already been paid for by James' parents and the waiters had no problem with it). Harry and Hermione made a stunning couple, earning smiles from many of the other dinners. Halfway through their dinner, their waiter left, explaining to them it was the end of his shift and another waiter would take his place. The other man, whose name was Jason, struck a bad chord within Harry.

As soon as he had moved to another table, Harry glared at his back. "He was staring at you," he said to Hermione.

"No he wasn't," Hermione replied, in a slightly exasperated tone.

"Yes he was. I don't like him." Harry knew he was being jealous, but didn't really care. The truth was, the man had been staring at Hermione, focusing on her chest. They finished the meal quickly, and left the restaurant, taking a cab to the part of London where the Leaky Cauldron was.

Harry was still a bit mad when they entered the cab, and Hermione was getting tired of it. "Harry-"

"He was staring at you 'Mione! You're beautiful and they see that. They are going to try and take advantage of your-" Harry was inturrputed by Hermione's ice cold voice.

"My what? Harry, I'm a big girl. He was just staring. You are my boyfriend. I don't even remember his name. We are probably never going to eat there again. Just drop it." Hermione rested her head on the seat of the cab.

Harry put his arm around her, and apologized. "I'm sorry 'Mione. I was making a big deal out of nothing. Forgive me? For earlier too?"

Hermione smiled and pecked him on the lips. "Of course. Jealousy cannot be a big part in our relationship, Harry. How do you think it'll be for me when we return and there are packs of rabid fan girls after you?"

"You're right of course 'Mione. Do me the pleasure of going to Hogsmeade with me next Hogsmeade weekend?" Hermione laughed against his neck, and Harry shivered.

"Sure. Do you even know when the next Hogsmead weekend is?" she asked, hot breath making Harry shiver again. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was doing it to tease him...

"Uh...no. When?" he asked, a bit sheepishly.

"Three weeks from now. Be ready, Mr. Potter." The rest of the cab ride was short, and the slight walk to the Leaky Cauldon was just enough to get their blood warm again. The floo was a quick trip, and they exited through McGonagall's office. The strict teacher glanced up at their arrival, then returned to her grading.

"I'll inform the Headmaster you have returned. You may return to your dorms," said the woman, so Harry and Hermione exchanged glances and left the office with a quick goodnight to the professor. It was nearing ten o'clock, so they hurried to the Common Room, and were not surprised to find everyone else had already returned to their dorms. They stopped at the two doors going to the boy's and girl's rooms.

"Well..." said Hermione. Then she stretched up on her tip toes and gave Harry and quick kiss. "Good night."

"Good night," he replied, then looked at her with sad eyes. "I don't like not being near you."

She just smiled and kissed his lower lip. "Neither do I." They stood there, just looking at each other.

Hermione was biting her lip, and looked truly sad. Harry groaned, and bent down, sweeping her up and kissing her soundly before relinquishing her soft, warm mouth. "Night. Better go up now before I kidnap you." With one last hug the couple departed, going up the separate stairs to their dorms.

* * *

The next morning, Lily awoke to a very irratated and sleep deprived Hermione Granger shaking her. "Hermione?" she moaned, then checked the time. "Hermione! It's only six! Go back to bed," she added. Hermione looked horrible, large rings around her eyes, and bushy hair everywhere.

"No! We are going down to the Common Room," Hermione said, pulling the covers of Lily's bed. Lily grabbed at the blankets, but missed.

"Fine. But only if you promise to tell me how your date went." Reluctantly, Lily got up and dressed, going down to the Common Room fresh and shiny at around half past six. She only stumbled slightly as she was going down the stairs, but quickly corrected herself only to stumble again when she saw the other two occupants of the Common Room.

Harry and Hermione were fully dressed, and curled up together on the couch, sleeping. It was obvious Harry had as hard of a night as Hermione by the dark circles under his eyes. It was relaxing and peaceful to see them together, but Lily was not in a relaxful or a peaceful mode. A wicked grin on her face, she crept up the stairs to the boy dorms to wake up the Marauders.

After about twenty minutes of getting the boys up, Lily sat them down on Peter's bed to tell them her plan. They were not any happier than she had been to be woken up at the early hour, so they eagerly made their plans to wake the happy couple sleeping on the couch in the Common Room.

Slowly, they all crept back down the stairs, and stood around the couch, wands pointing at Harry and Hermione. Lily held up three fingers, then folded them back one by one, mouthing the numbers. On one, they quartet shot four streams of cold water onto the prone figures on the couch.

Harry leapt up, wand in hand as he shot a stunner, then erected a shield. Hermione did the same, then maintained a shield as Harry got into the defensive position. When the realized there was no real danger, they looked at each other, then glared at the shocked Marauders and Lily.

"Um... Sorry?" Sirius squeaked, worried about the look in Harry's eye. Hermione just turned to Harry, who squeezed her gently. She squeezed back and pivoted to run up the stairs to the Girl's dorm.

Harry just looked at them. "Explain yourselves," he commanded, voice not particularly warm.

Lily spoke first, feeling like a child who was talking to a disappointed father figure. "Well, Hermione woke me up early. Then when I got here, she was sleeping with you. It annoyed me, so I woke up the boys and talked them into pranking you. Harry-" Harry held up a hand to stop her.

"Lily, I have no problems with pranks. I enjoy them myself. But do you go to a sleeping war veteran and pull a party popper? What do you expect he'll do? He'll yell and wake up and be utterly terrified because he believes he is under fire again and has no means of defense. Why do you think some of them sleep with knives or guns? The same reason Hermione and I sleep with our wands. _Because we are scared to death to be without defense at all times._ It's a mercy we sleep at all." Harry was still jumpy, and Lily felt terrible.

Before she could speak again, Sirius opened his obscenely large mouth. "But it's not like you were in the War or anything-" James clapped a hand over his mouth before he could dig himself in even deeper.

Instead of raging, Harry just collapsed down on the wet couch. "But we were. The first war hasn't started yet. The second war is worse than the one ahead ever was. If she didn't tell you, Hermione was held and tortured for months for information. Hell, I broke in to Gringotts and flew out on a bloody dragon. We infiltrated the Ministry. We are as much vets as the men who fought in the Great Wars. We never lay in trenches, but we have slept knowing we might die at anytime."

"I sorry." It was Lily, and she was crying softly. She then stiffened when she felt a small hand patting her back, but accepted the hug Hermione gave her.

"It's fine. We just over reacted. Just try to keep the pranks to when we're awake, 'kay?"

After the dramtic morning, the group headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Hermione and Harry tried to keep what James called, "The Spooky Breakfast Routine" down, but ended up doing it anyway. The day was nice and clear, a perfect Christmas Eve. A thin layer of snow was blanketing the ground, and the air was crisp and clean. The group walked down to the lake, kicking up snow. James was the first to speak.

"It's a pity Wormy had to go home for break. He'd love to meet you, Harry." Lily stopped when she saw all the blood flow out of Harry's face.

Harry grabbed Hermione's arm, and said, in a strained whisper that seamed like it was trying not to be a yell, "You didn't tell them? You didn't tell them that the bloody rat-"

Hermione reached up and clapped a hand over his mouth. "One more word, Harry, and you'll undo everything I've been working on. You are going to shut you mouth, and come with me." As she led the seething man away, she called, "One second, guys," to the confused seventh years.

The two ended up about twenty feet away from the others before Hermione stopped. "One, keep your voice down. Two, no, they don't know. I haven't told them for a _reason_Harry. I'm trying to save them." Hermione almost broke down. "I'm doing my damn best to stop all these boys and girls from joining him. I've befriended them, I've helped them. I've taken them to Dumbledore, because he can help them more than I can here. And I'm trying to stop Peter from being alienated from his friends, which is what I think happened the first time around, leading him to become a Death Eater. I've been doing everything I bloody well can to save him from death, knowing right now, in this minute, in this dimension, he is a seventeen year old boy who has done nothing wrong. But if you want to tell your parents and godfather, go ahead."

Hermione walked away, wipping stubborn tears from her cheeks. She grabbed Lily, and started pulling the girl towards the castle. "C'mon. We're going inside so the boys can have some boy talk."

Harry just stared after Hermione, watching as she led Lily inside. It was entirely up to him, the fate of another version of his parent's betrayer. He thought about it, trying to put it in perspective. If Hermione had not come, had not interfered, Peter Pettigrew would have killed the red-haired womans Hermione was walking with and the hazel-eyed carbon copy of himself standing twenty feet away. However, the Peter Pettigrew in this dimension had yet to do anything that was worthy of death. Neither had any of the other future Death Eaters Hermione was trying to help. But there was a very strong chance some of these people would join Tom Riddle anyway. He knew Bellatrix was fanatical about the madman, and Lucius, if not Narcissa, was a dedicated follower. But... What about Regulus? R.A.B.- the man who had taken the Horcrux and inadvertently caused Dumbledore's death to be in vain. Was he worth saving?

If Hermione did not save him, he might do the same things again. The chance of another Death Eater doing the same thing was next to impossible. What should he do? Tell his parents and Sirius that Wormtail would soon betray them, and watch as they alienated him, allowing him to become a Death Eater, allowing him to kill, maim, torture. Harry was still plagued by nightmares of that night in Malfoy Manor. If it was not Hermione's face he saw, it was Peter strangling himself with the silver hand Voldemort had made for him that night in the graveyard.

Pettigrew, who had let him out of the dungeon just to let him see Hermione arch in pain as he was carried away by Dobby.

Death Eater, who had resurrected the infant body of the Dark Lord one warm night in June, three years ago.

Scabbers, who ran into the night to find and restore the parted soul of Tom Riddle after leaving Sirius Black and his godson to the Dementors.

Peter, who had been blasted into pieces so small, the largest one was his finger, on a small Muggle street the night after Lily and James had died, and their infant son dropped on the doorstep of Petunia and Vernon Dursley.

Wormtail, seventeen year old Gryffindor in his last year at Hogwarts, loyal friend to James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin.

Who was the right one? Who was the one Harry would soon meet?

That thought struck another disonant chord in Harry. He would be meeting Wormtail soon. Or would it be Pettigrew? Or Peter? What would be do?What would be best for him, his parents, his godfather, Hermione?

Hermione. Who had just left angry, disapointed in him. As she would say, _Lovely._ He knew he really needed her advice, was was equally sure she really did not want to talk with him. It would be up to him to tell or not to tell the boy and his friends who were walking towards him.

Harry took a moment to study the three boys, almost men, who were making their way through the snow towards him.

James Harry Potter. Dancing hazel eyes, messy, wind blown black hair, round glasses. He was sturdy and strong, slightest hint of a beard on his chin. His cheeks were red from the cold, and he looked worried about Hermione's sudden kidnapping of his girlfriend. He walked with a stately grace, like he was king of the wood, but unaware of the fact.

Sirius Orion Black. Cool gray eyes, perfectly groomed long black hair, falling to his shoulders. Pale skin, red nose from the cold. Lithe, smooth grace, like the lope of a wolf. Exluding coolness from every pore. As much as Harry hated to admit it, he was handsome. He had everything, but the family, or the girl. Harry was suddenly glad Hermione had known Sirius as an older man before a younger one. He wasn't so sure she would be with him otherwise.

Remus John Lupin. Prefect, good student, werewolf. He was tall, and walked with a slight stoop, as if he had been aged too much already. In his sandy blond hair, there were flecks of something that, give a few years, might be gray. He had slight lines around his eyes, not as visible from this far away. Brown eyes held a hint of something dangerous, the fear factor that attracted girls who loved the adrenaline rush, who found themselves unable to get close to the handsome boy with something to hide.

They had reached him now, and more than one of them felt a small shiver of fear at the apprasing look in his eye. It seemed to them he was studing them, and they had somehow found themselves unworthy. Sirius brushed back his intutition, and tried to smile.

"What was that about, mate?"

It was the moment of truth. He could tell them, or he could leave them in ignorant peace. He could ruin a man, or he could try and befriend him and save him.

* * *

**What did I tell you? I was in a bad mood. It shows, or so I think. Tell me what you think.**

**For those wondering, Peter went home for break because his mother made him. Wuss. **

**QUESTION: Do you want him to tell them or not? Seriously upset Hermione, or get revenge? I, personally, want to redeam him. But that is just me. Leave you answer in a review, or my new poll. **

**Get me to 300 please. As a reward, #'s 270, 280, 290, and 300 will get a special surprise. Bet on it. There is also one random number, so review anyway and you might get it. It will come as no surprise to those of you who know what my fav number is. I will announce the winners in the next chapter. Forgive my bribes, but I wanted to give y'all something.**

**Reviews, votes, world peace, and french fries. All on my wish list people.**

**Love,  
ausland**


	15. Dinner and Dancing

**Okay. I was ready to say that was the bloody last time I updated on a Sunday, until I looked at the reviews. Holy Cow. THANK YOU! It wasn't quite 300 but 295 isn't really that bad. So thank you to those who reviewed.**

**WARNING: CHAPTER GETS A LITTLE HOT AND HEAVY. BE WARNED!**

**Nothing too bad, mind your gutter brains, but... you'll see. Poll was nobody. Next poll is friviolus, but I want your opinion anyway. Okie dokie? Chapter is dedicated to... The ORIGINAL Meathead. Love your penname. Tamora Pierce rocks!**

**Disclaimer: I realized I have yet to do one of these. I do not own Harry Potter. I just enjoy correcting JKR's mistakes and putting him with the woman he was meant to be with.**

* * *

James looked at Harry curiously, and asked, "Do you have any clue why Hermione just dragged Lily off like that?"

Harry hesistated for a second, but shook his head. "No. None at all. You?" Harry felt cold, as if ice water was in his veins, slowly chilling him.

Sirius wasn't buying it. "No. But she stormed off after talking with you for a few seconds, meaning you probably know. And I want to tell you now. Back off. She is-"

He faltered to a stop at the look in Harry's eyes. James and Remus exchanged glances, then shrugged. If Sirius really wanted to go there then they would let him, then say 'I told you so' at the outcome.

Harry was looking down at Sirius. "She is mine. And I am her's. Do not make a mistake, Hermione is mine until the day she says she isn't. Then, it is her choice and I will support it wholeheartedly. Understand?"

Sirius just looked defeated. "I do. But I don't really want to."

Harry looked at him stearnly. "But you do."

Sirius nodded. "But I do. I will respect Hermione's decisions."

Harry smiled. "Good. Now do you want to head back inside? It's rather cold out here."

The rest of the boys agreed, going back to the castle to try and track down the girls.

* * *

Hermione had dragged Lily down to the kitchens, in such a huff Lily didn't even ask for a reason. She had seen Hermione in this mood before, although not so severe. It was usually either James or Sirius' fault, but had never really asked why.

However, as Hermione started to tickle the pear in the painting, Lily was starting to worry about what her son had done to put the girl in such a mood. They were acosted by helpful elves, who wondered if they wanted anything from tea to a tweleve course dinner. The girls sat down at the small table they were provided, and munched on some scones.

Lily took an aprehensive breath, then began to talk cautiously. "Hermione? What was that about?" Hermione groaned, biting into the scone with malice.

"It's about that cute idiot I'm in love with. He- well, he's going to have to make a major decision. It will mark his change from adolesent to man, if he makes the right choice. If he doesn't, it will prove to those who know him that he is nothing like the idealized version of his father he's been hearing about all his life." This left Lily just as-if not more- confused than she had been before.

"Well, the decision can't be that bad, right? I mean, it's not life or death or anything," she said, voice getting smaller and smaller as she noted the expression on her friends face. The girl looked melancholy, as if she had the lines of a thousand sorrows imprinted on her psyche, and shadowing her face. Her eyes seemed like they had before Harry had arrived, filled with demons that a child of seventeen had no right to posses.

Hermione just shook her head, as if in a daze. "Of course. Life and death-" she cut herself off, gaze still staring out into space. "If you'd excuse me- I-"

"Go Hermione," Lily said gently, rewarded with an absent minded smile. She watched as Hermione drifted throught the kitchen, leaving and heading off to where ever she went when she was in those moods.

"Is Miss done?" asked a diminuative elf, ears quivering.

"Yes, thank you. What is your name?" Even though her attempts to free the elves in her fourth year had gone horribly wrong, she still enjoyed getting to know the elves of Hogwarts. Ever since she had given up the cause she need reassurance from every elf she met that they were happy.

"Libby, Miss. Is Missy Miny done too?" Lily choked back her laughter at the nickname for Hermione.

"Yes, Hermione's done. She never eats much." Libby nodded saddly.

"Yes, I knows. Missy Miny is too skinny. She is sick, inside. She needs-" Libby stopped, blushing as much as a house elf could blush.

Lily seized on the chance. "What does Hermione need Libby?"

The house elf pulled on her ears, gazing at Lily intently. "Yous promise not to tell Missy Miny?"

Lily agreed eagerly, waiting for Libby to speak. "I promise Libby. What does Hermione need?"

Libby leaned in, whispering. "Missy Miny needs kisses and love. She needs babies," the house elf said, nodded. "Missy Miny needs babies to makes her happy again. And Missy needs friends. I knows a girl like Missy. My old Mistress, before she died and I comes to Hogwarts. Missy Miny needs babies and a Master Potter. Not your Master Potter, the one withs pretty eyes. She needs pretty Master Potter to make her babies." Libby finished nodding. In the world of a house elf, everything could be solved with either food or babies. Since Missy Miny didn't want food, she must want babies.

Lily sat back, trying to hold in her laughter. It was so like a house elf to suggest babies to solve a problem. "Thank you Libby. I'll tell Hermione your suggested remedy. But do you think you could do me a favor?"

* * *

Almost twenty minutes later, Lily found Harry sitting in a window seat, facing the window. He was gazing out at the snow covered lake. It was the same window Hermione had been sitting at when she had meet Severus Snape in this dimension...

"Harry?" Seeing his mother (friend?) out of breath and heading towards him was enough to break him out of his thoughts.

"Lily! Do you know where I would find Hermione?" His hopes were raised for a few precious seconds before red hair was flying as Lily shook her head.

"No. But I know she is upset and I know what you are going to do. You are going to find her, tell her whatever dicision you made, hope like hell you made the right one, then tell her you've arrainged a romantic picnic for the two of you. Then you are going to go back to the Tower so I can help her get ready, and you are going to take her to the picnic." Lily smiled at him, and Harry smiled back.

He turned to go look for Hermione, but turned around. "Where's the picnic, Lily?" he asked, blushing.

"In what the house elves called the Come-and-Go Room. They said you would know where it is." Lily grinned. "What would you boys do without me?"

Harry just grinned back. "Thanks," he shouted over his shoulder as he ran down the corridor, going to the one place where he knew Hermione would be.

Before, he had had no clue what he would do when he found her. He thought she was mad at him, and was probably going to hex him. At least now he had a plan.

The walk to the Library only took a few minutes at the speed he was going. If you entered the Hogwarts Library, there would be stacks and stacks of books going in every direction. At the very back of the Library was a large window seat that looked out towards the Forbidden Forest. It was Hermione's favorite place to study, and one of her favorite places to study. He knew he would find her there, looking out on to the grounds.

It was just as he had suspected when he walked to the back of the Library. Hermione was there, curled up on the window seat, knees drawn up and chin high in the air, trying hard not to let any tears escape her very wet eyes.

Silently, he walked up and sat down across from her, just waiting for her to look at him. It took a few moments, but Hermione was the first to speak.

"What did you do?" However, she still refused to look at him. It would make her break down her walls if she looked into those emerald eyes again.

"Nothing. They know nothing about the rat." Finally, agonizingly slowly, she met his eyes.

"Thank you."

"Of course."

They sat in silence for a few more moments before Harry spoke. "Did you really think I would tell them?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. But I wasn't sure."

"Why?" She looked out to the Forest again, and Harry almost cursed in fustration.

"Because I don't know you as well as I did before. Because I missed months of your life." Her voice was small, and sounded frightened. Harry groaned lightly and pulled her toward him, turing her around and wrapping his arms around her, resting his chin on her head.

"'Mione. I missed months of your life too. I don't know every single thing about you like I did before. But I still know enough. People change. I've changed, you've changed. But we are still the same people inside that we were when we were eleven and defeating trolls. Or thirteen and rescuing convicts. Hermione, I love you, and I trust you. If you don't want me to do something, just tell me. I won't do it. Hermione Jane Granger, I have, will, and do trust you with my life. If you think I am about to make a bad decision, tell me. I learned by lesson at the Department of Mysteries." Harry hoped she would understand. It tore his heart apart to think she would not want him anymore. The thought alone only made him clutch her tighter.

He left out a breath of relief when he felt her relax against his chest. His arms were around her stomach, and he could feel when she let go of the tension. He felt her move under him, and lifted up his head so she could turn around.

He was met with vulnerable brown eyes staring up at him. "Promise?"

He was confused. "Promise what?"

"Promise you'll love me forever?" Heat rushed through his body, and he tried to show it in his eyes.

"I promise. I will love you, Hermione Jane Granger, forever and always." Harry smiled down at her, and she smiled up at him, prompting him to kiss her. The kiss was sweet and slow, a reaffirmation of love. When they finally broke apart, Harry stood up, Hermione still in his arms.

"Will you do me the favor of dinner in the Room of Requirment tonight, Milady?" he said, sweeping a bow.

Hermione, instead of smacking his arm (like he had half expected), just curstyed and replied, "Of course, Milord."

Hand and hand, they set off to the Common Room, so Hermione could be made perfect by Lily's flawless makeup brush.

* * *

Hermione was sitting on Lily's bed, eyes closed as the older girl pulled and tugged on her hair. They had been "getting ready" for about half an hour, Lily selecting Hermione's clothes and giving the girl a quick appraisl before pointing to the showers. After a ten minute shower, Lily had Hermione's hair dried and her make up applied before begining in earnest on the girl's mane of curls.

"French braid or pulled back?" It only took an instant for Hermione to make the decision. Harry had said he liked her hair...

"Pulled back." The conversation idled for a bit, until Lily recounted a small portion of her conversation with Libby.

"I was worried, and so were the house elves. I was talking to one, and she said you need babies. Her idea, not mine!" Lily was about to tease Hermione more, but stopped the words in her mouth when she saw the sad expression on her friend's face.

It took another ten minutes for Hermione to be deemed perfect by Lily. She was wearing a sleeveless silver dress, one that dipped low in the back, hugging her curves before flowing down to the floor. Lily had braided two strands of hair, pulling them back with charmed, heavy duty bobby pins. The two strands met at the back of her head, held together by a clip shaped like a silver rose, studded with diamonds. It was Lily's, given to her by her parents on her sixteenth birthday. Lily gave the clip a final tug, then stepped back to let the girl admire herself in the mirror.

"Hermione, you look beautiful. Now go downstairs to show Harry!" Lily ran down the stairs first, Conjuring Harry a silver rose for his button hole. He was wearing a formal tux, one of the many 'just in case' items he and Hermione had purchased the day before. Eagerly, he turned to face the stairs. The look on his face when Hermione decended was amazed and happy. He smiled, and went to the stairs to give her his hands for the last few steps, twirling her around when she reached the bottom.

"You look absolutely gorgeous," he whispered in her ear, pulling back to look in her eyes before he kissed her. All too soon, he pulled away, offering her his arm. She accepted, and with thanks to the boys and Lily for helping them get ready, they departed for the Room.

* * *

Libby was waiting for them, overjoyed to help them on their date. She opened the door for them, blushing profusly at the praise and thanks Harry and Hermione gave her.

The room was decorated beautifully. It had turned itself into a large room, with a small silver table and two chairs. The rest of the room had a medium sized dance floor, and a small section had a piano and several charmed musically instruments. There were two small glass doors, opening out onto a balcony. The ceiling of the room was painted with scenes of the heavens, with angels and cherubims, who presided over an enormous, ornate, chandelier. The room reminded Hermione of the ballroom in the movie Beauty and the Beast.

Harry smiled with her, and led her over to the table. "My Lady," he said, pulling her chair out for her. She smiled her thanks and he walked to the other side of the table. The first course was a light soup, delicately flavored with herbs.

The next was salad, then meat, then, finally dessert.

The house elves had outdone themselves on the dessert. It was a true beauty, a sugar replicate of Hogwarts. Only about a foot tall, it was a perfect copy of Hogwarts and the grounds. The Forbidden Forest was made out of chocolate, the castle out of sugar, the lake out of melted white chocolate, colored blue. There were tiny replicas of some of the students and teachers, and some of the creatures. Hagrid's hut was present, as well as spun sugar windows that revealed Dumbledore's office. It was almost too pretty to eat.

However, like all good things, the castle soon came to a very sticky end. The food was gone, the two were sated, and the invisible band began to play.

The couple spent the rest of the night dancing together, twirling in each other's arms. Hermione was a vision in silver, eyes sparkling and hair fanning out behind her when she was spun by her partner.

Harry, on the other hand, was what Hermione thought was the perfect man should look like. Green eyes snapping, following Hermione's silver-clad form hungrily as the two danced to the music played by the enchanted strings. They only stopped dancing when the grandfather clock that had gone unnoticed before chimed the hour.

Harry paused, and Hermione followed his lead. They looked in each other's eyes, and grinned.

"Merry Christmas, 'Mione."

"Merry Christmas, Harry."

The exchange of holiday greetings led to a small kiss, and that led to another small kiss, and then another. Harry was about to go for another kiss when the room shifted around them.

Now they were in small room, cozy with a fireplace and a big couch. They could see a small door, open, that led to a bedroom with only one bed. The sitting room was decorated in red and gold, with wooden furniture. The fire crackled merrily, the one window showed the snow falling outside, and the two randy teenagers were looking at each other with hungry eyes.

It only took a moment for them to crash back into each other, but Hermione groaned amd pulled back. "One sec. I need to get out of this dress. Give me a few minutes to Transfigure something and I'll be right back." She walked into the bedroom, and looked around for some material. She had to use her own clothes, mainly because the things in the room were pure magic. Her slip was soon tore in two, and made into a pair of cotton pants and a shirt. The shirt was rather tight across the chest, as she had underestimated. She thought for a moment, then decided to leave it that way. The material was needed more for the pants anyway.

While she was gone, Harry chose to do the same thing, shrugging out of his formal clothes and making himself a pair of pants and a keeping his button down shirt, after shortening the sleeves. He had just shrugged it back on, when Hermione reentered the room.

She seemed shocked, standing still for about thirty seconds. Harry used her words from the day before, smirking and saying in a amused voice, "Like what you see?"

This had the desired reaction, stealing a blush from the girl. She walked toward him, stopping with her nose only an inch away from his chest. Harry felt his breath catch as she glanced up through her lashes, strangly shy.

"Very much so," she whispered, running light fingertips down his bare chest. He shivered, and she leaned forward and hugged him. It was not the first time she had seen Harry shirtless, but this was the first time that it had such meaning to her. This was her chest. No one else was allowed to touch it. Not Cho. Not Ginny. No one but her.

Harry lifted her chin up, so he could see her eyes. Without being asked she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself up to his lips. He had shaved, so there was no stubble to irratate her skin. It made her inexplicably happy that she could be happy about her boyfriend not shaving. His kisses were electic, hightening her every sense. She felt so alive when she was with him. She had not felt this happy in months, if not years. She had Harry Potter all to herself, and she wanted very bit of him she could get.

She hardly noticed when they moved to the couch, Harry pulling her on top of him. They were snogging, and his hands were on her hips and they were starting to drift upwards...

Harry was lost in the sensations, Hermione's weight above him, her mouth on his, her hands on his face, on his neck, on his arms. He was holding her too him, hands on her hips, caressing the flesh, the flesh that was covered by that thin fabric. He didin't know what came over him, but his hands were moving (up?) and in one swift motion he was on top, and his and was-

"Harry, stop."

Those words, said in a frightended and timid voice brought him to attention immedently. He rolled off her, letting her sit up against the arm of the couch and draw her legs up, wrapping her arms around them. "Hermione? Hermione are you-"

She gave a sound that sounded dangerously close to a sob. "No. I'm scared."

Harry, not really knowing what to do, reached out and grabbed her hand. "Of what? We don't have to do anything if you don't want to, 'Mione."

Hermione launched herself at him, hugging his chest. He hugged her back, various senarios running through his head. However, he kept rubbing Hermione's arm and smoothing her hair, and kissing the top of her head. She stopped crying only a few minutes later.

"Sorry. You must think I'm such a-" Harry could see if he didn't stop this now she would be beating herself up for days.

"Hermione. Tell me what you're scared of." Big, wet eyes looked into his. He hated that he saw fear there.

"That you know what you're doing and I don't. That I'm not experienced enough for you. That you'll want someone older, prettier, with more experence. Some one who doesn't freak out when her boyfriend touches her chest!" She started out in a small voice, but ended in a bitter cry.

"That you'll want someone untouched by the winds of time and the forges of war. Or that you'll want someone pretty and experenced like Cho, or someone fun and popular like Ginny."

Harry felt like laughing, but quelled it out of respect for Hermione. "I want you. I don't care if you don't have the 'experence' other girls do. Scratch that. I do care. If anyone touched you, I'll rip their balls off." This got a giggle out of Hermione, so Harry allowed himself a small smile. "Hermione, did you notice Ginny looks like an ugly, knock-off version of my mum? Everyone would always be comparing us to them. And Hermione, if I have to tell you everyday of your life that you are the most beautiful woman, inside and out, that I have and will ever meet, I will. And I have been molded in the forges of war and eroded by the winds of time. I wouldn't want anyone who hasn't gone through the same things I have. And that narrows down the list to you or Ron. And unless you know something you aren't telling me..."

He let his voice trail out, and Hermione gave another small laugh. "Thank you Harry. It's just..."

"I know," he said, voice cracking. And he did know. He had heard that phrase before, or something like it.

It concerned him, that she would be concerned about what he had done with other girls. On their date, she had said he was just as new to this as he was. He had taken it to mean heavy snogging and petting. But it appeared he was wrong. But he had waited this long for her. And he would wait forever for he if he had to.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice was finally relaxed, and maybe even happy. He was pleased, and slightly curious to what she wanted to ask.

"Yes 'Mione?"

"Have you thought about what's going to happen when we return? In the summer?"

Harry was silent for a minute. "Yeah. I'm gonna marry you, then we are going to shock the hell out of the stuffy old purebloods by having as many bushy haired, green-eyed, scarily brilliant Quidditch players as we can before you hex my balls off. I'm prolly gonna get a job at the Ministry and you'll do what ever you want to do. We'll be happy, and we'll be content. You will never want for anything, and our children are going to turn McGonagall's hair white while shocking poor Professor Flitwick out of ten years of growth. Then those children are going to get the highest scores on their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s than anyone since their mother."

Hermione sat in silence, awed beyond belief. "You really want a family?"

Harry's reaction was immediate. "Yes. I've always wanted a family. But if you don't want children, then it can be just the two of us-"

"No. I want children. I want to have our children, Harry." They just reclined into each other, each thinking seperate thoughts. Harry was thinking of what Hermione would look like pregnant, and Hermione was imagining Harry rocking a small child. Both were very happy with their imaginations.

They sat there in silence for a while, taking comfort in the fact they were in each other's arms and that they were together. It was Christmas day, and they were happy.

However, it was late and they needed to be back in their repective beds, or at least the couch in the Common Room. It only took them half an hour to redress in their finery and make their way back to Gryffindor Tower. They parted with a tired kiss, before going up to the boy's and girl's dorms.

At three in the morning, Harry stumbled down to the Common Room. He was not surprised at all that Hermione was there as well, and with relieved looks the two curled up together to get some real sleep.

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**Well? I want your opinion. I kind of liked this chapter. Hope you did too.**

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	16. The Scar

**WOW. This is one heck of a long chapter. Hope you enjoy this. A lot. It took forever for me to write, so that is why it is so late. Next chapter shall be posted next Tuesday, my muse permitting.**

**Poll goes to... Chocolate covered strawberries. My fav didn't even get one vote. :( **

**Anyway... Chapter is dedicated to... HopelessRomaticist. I _loved _your suggestions. Thank you for the absolutely brilliant ideas, and if you have any others, let me know. PS: THAT GOES FOR EVERYBODY. I may not use it, but I value suggestions.**

**Help: I noticed today that chapter 5 has only 9 reviews. Help it out?**

**Good news: This story is an amazing 60k+ words. All I can say is WOW. All caps. I love you all for giving me inspiration. Hopefully it will get to at least 500+ reviews by the time it is done. Thank you all.**

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It took a while for the couple on the couch to wake up. When they did wake, it was to the feeling of being surrounded by eyes.

Harry tightened his grip on Hermione, nuzzling into her hair. Hermione sleepily opened her eyes, blinked a few times, and closed them again. "Tell me I'm dreaming, please."

Lily laughed. "Okay. Hermione, you are dreaming. Now get up so we can open presents!"

Hermione bit back a groan, feeling more exhausted then she would have thought possible. She had fallen asleep relieved that Harry hadn't asked for more of an explanation for her strange behavior, and feeling the night of unrest from the night before. However, the word presents had woken Harry up and he was ready to start the day.

"Today's Christmas!" Harry exclaimed, eyes shining with joy.

Sirius and Remus sniggered, and James thumped his son on the shoulder. "No duh. Great observation Captain Obvious."

Harry's eyes dimmed slightly, the brightened up again. "Shut up. Today's Christmas!"

The childlike joy in his eyes made Hermione start laughing, and she leaned back into him, relishing the firmness of his chest. He was hers... and it was their first Christmas together.

The Marauders and Lily eventually got Harry and Hermione out of 'bed' (the couch) and into 'proper' clothes (pajamas) and down the stairs with everything they needed (presents). Together, they all sat underneath the Christmas tree Hermione had asked Hagrid to bring to the Gryffindor Common Room. She and the rest of the Gryffindors had spent a fun afternoon conjuring ornaments and convincing faries to sit in their tree. Alice had proved very handy with making everlasting ice, so the tree had little icicles on some branches. The first and second years had used preserving charms on long strings of popcorn, and had grinned smugly when Professor Flitwick had asked to see their tree, and had subsequently awarded them ten points each in front of the Slytherins. Colored balls had been transfigured by the third and fourth years, and lights by the fifth and sixth years. The seventh years had supervised and helped with the complicated spells, adding some other touches here and there on the finished product. The tree was beautiful, if a little lacking in green ornaments and rather covered in red and gold garland. Professor McGonagall had given them ten points each for such a magnificent idea, putting Gryffindor in the lead for the house cup.

All around them were the presents, some brightly colored boxes bigger than others, and some awkwardly wrapped shapes more mysterious. Judging by the looks on the boy's faces, it was by and far past time to open presents. While James and Harry admired their girls in shorts and tank tops, Remus and Sirius bounced around and demanded everyone stop ogling and start opening.

However, Hermione and Lily had other ideas. They sat everyone down, and made piles of presents for each person. James and Remus had the biggest piles, with Harry and Hermione the smallest. But no envy was shown, and no glares given, which was a welcome change for Harry and Hermione. Except for the sixth year, Harry and Hermione had been with Ron for every Christmas. He had always shown his jealous nature by glaring at Harry for the gifts he had been given, even though his pile was considerably larger.

Finally, everyone had a pile of presents in front of them. Lily had taken command of the situation, giving everyone their present from James first, while James got a present from one of his relatives. Sticky wrapping paper flew as Sirius and Remus uncovered their gifts, while the others neatly unfolded the paper on their gifts. Remus got two gifts: a stuffed hamster that came with a book titled _How to Deal With Your Furry Little Problem _and a book on Charms. Lily got a lovely pair of earrings, gold with rubies and small diamonds. Hermione got a gold charm bracelet, with a small golden stag charm. Harry got Quidditch equipment fit for a Seeker, replacing the set he had lost. Sirius also had two presents. The first was a pair of tighty whiteys, with second being the most curious present. It was a key ring, with four keys on it.

Sirius looked up and James, emotion in his eyes. "Prongs..."

James smiled solemnly. "One is to my parent's house. One is to Andy's house. One is to the house your uncle left you. And one is to a flat in Wizarding London. I borrowed a bit from you vault to buy it... But I thought you wouldn't mind."

Hermione had to look away for a moment when Sirius embraced James. The two boys- men really- had a friendship more complex and tragic than Hermione and Harry, or even Harry and Ron, had or would ever have. The two had been through so much together, and would go through so much more before being violently separated.

After a few discrete tears had been wiped away, the got back to the gift giving. Lily gave her presents first. A stuffed wolf for Remus, who had sworn he was in love with Hermione after the first full moon. (He liked a slightly large wolf over the blood thirsty monster.) A bottle of expensive cologne for James. A stuffed dog for Sirius. A small bottle of the same cologne for Harry. A locket charm for Hermione, that opened to a picture of Lily and James. Lily opened a present from Petunia, a muggle book called, _So, You Want to be a Wizard?_ and a note that made Lily wipe her eyes.

Sirius went next, excitedly handing out his presents. Hermione got a small golden grim for her bracelet, and Lily got a lovely dress that matched her earrings. Remus was given a large box of Swiss chocolate, and Harry, a box filled with pictures of the Marauders and Lily in all their years in Hogwarts. It had really hurt him to find that Harry had never known his parents, and only some about himself and Remus. That was the best gift he could have given Harry, and Hermione gave him a huge hug and smile for his thoughtfulness. Harry gave Sirius an unexpected hug, which the boy excepted with grace. James was given a pair of boxers, and a wizarding watch.

Remus' gifts were not as expensive, with Lily getting a bracelet to match her present from James, and Hermione a wolf for her bracelet. Harry was given chocolate, as was James and Sirius.

Hermione's gifts were a bit different. James was given the set of James Bond books they had gotten for him, and Lily was given the necklace. It was a pretty piece, that matched the earrings and the bracelet. In the center was a large ruby, big enough to make the girl gasp, but not to big to stop her from wearing it every day.

As Hermione gave it to her friend, she leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Lily? If you are ever in trouble, this necklace has the strongest protections Harry and I could put on it. If you hold the ruby in you hand and shout 'Mercy,' it will turn into a Portkey that will take you to a safe place. Okay?"

Lily looked at Hermione, wide eyed, and nodded. The gift giving went on, with Remus getting a shrunken trunk, that when enlarged, held three months worth of Wolfsbane, as well as several bundles of ingredients and a list with clear instructions. When asked, Hermione smiled. "I would have put more Wolfsbane, but it only has a shelf life of three months. I gave you instructions on how to make it, and all the ingredients you'll need except two, which need to be fresh. It's from me and Harry." Remus was satisfied with this answer, and was amazed at what the trunk gave him. Sirius was also overjoyed at his present from Harry and Hermione. They had gotten him a motorcycle, the same kind he had originally purchased. The motorcycle was shrunken, ready to be enlarged with just a spoken word. The two made him promise to only unshrink it after the school year ended, explaining how the magic at Hogwarts would hurt the delicate engine.

"How did you know-" Sirius started to ask, the shook his head. "Never mind. I don't wanna know."

Harry gave Hermione three charms for her bracelet, a lion, a otter, and another locket charm that had a picture of him in it. On the inside, _I will love you forever and always _was engraved. This deserved a kiss, and Harry was quite happy with the reward. She gave him her journal, unedited and full of her love for him.

Harry gave several small gifts, and the others opened what remained of their piles. Hermione was given a corrected book of Potions from Severus, who had gone to visit his mother for Christmas. She was also given presents from some of her Slytherins, and some of her other students. Peter had not sent her a charm, and for that she was grateful. Instead, he gave her a book. The girls she shared the dorm with also gave her small things, and some of the other Gryffindors gave her small presents.

By lunchtime, everyone was starving and trooped up to their rooms to change into clothes appropriate to go out in. When they met again in the Common Room, Harry and Hermione looked at each other, and broke out in laughter.

"What is it?" asked the others, already used to the seemingly random bursts of laughter from the pair.

Hermione answered for Harry. "He's finding it weird to not be wearing a Weasley sweater. I am finding it weird to not be missing the Weasleys. It is a very strange situation for us."

Strange situations shrugged off, lunch was a fun affair, with the boys putting on shows and antics on for the girls, who clapped, and occasionally gave kisses. The Professors watched with amazement as Hermione laughed and clapped, cheeks red and tired from smiling, and eyes bright and happy.

"You were right Minerva. She does look totally different," remarked Slughorn.

"Of course I was right. It is the new Potter who just arrived. I swear, that girl is head over heels over him. They almost knocked me down the other day, yelling and laughing like hooligans." This surprised all the teachers in the vicinity.

"Miss Granger acting like a hooligan! I never..."

"Miss Granger! I don't quite believe that Minerva."

"Hermione Granger! Impossible!"

McGonagall just shook her head. "They were running in the halls, laughing and shouting like little rascals. But I must admit, it was a pleasant change. I've never seen her act so... unreserved. It is a strange sight to see a smile on that girl's face, that's for sure."

Pomona shook her head. "Hermione smiling? She smiles often enough, and she has before..."

Professor Sinestra looked at her colleague thoughtfully. "Yes, but they haven't been true smiles. Her eyes always looked so sad."

Slughorn chuckled. "Except when she looked at Potter. I thought she had a crush on him. But I'll be waiting to see what happens with young Severus. He stormed out of my classroom without a backward glance one afternoon. I had a chance to see what angered him so. 'Mrs. Hermione Potter' was written all over that girl's notes, or what she thought could pass for notes. However, she did manage to brew a perfect Polyjuice so I couldn't complain. Anyway, the poor boy was so happy when she reassured him she didn't like James Potter it was funny."

Minerva gave a rare smile. "That girl is a true character. She always helps her friends, always helps people she doesn't even know, and gives up almost all her time to do good for others. Yet, she never acts like any of the other teenagers her age, even the mature ones like Lily Evans. That girl acts like she's been on this Earth for a hundred years."

Sinestra just laughed. "I wouldn't doubt it, Minerva. That girl is the brightest witch I've seen pass our doors in all my years of working here. I've never seen a students grasp the Eotian Complex so easily. That brain of hers is going to do great things one day..."

Flitwick eagerly jumped into the conversation. "Her heart too! I was amazed at how much time and effort she devotes to the students I asked her to tutor. She did what I could not- get Crabbe and Goyle to understand over fifty charms. They'll never be much good at them, but they can do them well enough to achieve an E on their exams. I've had at least seven sets of parents in my office asking what I've changed. They were so surprised when they got the progress reports and their children passed."

Slughorn nodded sagely. "Miss Granger is a godsend for Hogwarts, that's for sure. But the young lady can be rather strange at times, no?"

This led the trains of though off in another direction, one that the professors had often thought of, then discarded. But presented with an opportunity, they were eager to spout off their thoughts.

"Oh yes, indeed. That girl barely eats! She is a stick!" This came from the round Herbology Professor, who gave the smiling girl a worried look.

"And she'll snap at someone for the strangest reasons. The only time I've seen her truely angery was with the Skeeter girl."

"She's got the strangest habits. Scanning the room like a cornered rabbit, wand always in hand, reminds me of Moody."

"Never sleeps, that girl. I've seen her go for days without sleep."

"You have?"

"Yes. She had horrid nightmares, and was wandering the halls. I asked her why she was out, and she said that if she fell back asleep, she'd wake her dorm mates with her screams. Told me in a perfectly calm voice that sometimes in her dreams she couldn't stop them from coming out and she didn't want to disturb her dorm mates. I asked her if she wanted some Dreamless Sleep and she refused! She said she didn't want to become addicted to the stuff. Told me as serious as you please that if she started she wasn't sure if she could stop, but it would be nice if she didn't dream for once. Then she shook her head, and said, 'But that would also mean I wouldn't get the good dreams. They do come every once in a while,' and asked if she had to go back to her dorm."

"Did you send her back?"

"Yes. I really wanted her to get some sleep."

"I heard about her nightmares. My rooms are right next my Gryffindors. Her screams... They speak of horrible things."

"I wouldn't doubt it. Those eyes of her's... They give me chills. She gave me this pitying look, like she knows what happened in the past..."

This conversation was going where Dumbledore did not want it to go, so he gave them all a meaningful look and passed the potatoes. It made him smile to see how quickly they obeyed him.

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As soon as lunch was over, the six teens headed back to the Common Room, content to stay inside all day. While the snow storm outside was nothing close to a blizzard, it was still far too cold and windy to head outside without any real reason. They passed the time playing various games, or doing homework. While Hermione had made sure all her homework would be done before Harry had arrived, James and Sirius had not.

Hermione smiled happily to herself as she watched Remus contemplate his next move, making a vague comparison to the chessboard she had faced in her first year... Now she was much better at chess. Sirius and Harry were getting along much better than they had before. For some reason, Sirius had stopped looking forlornly at her, and seemed to be getting over his ridiculous crush.

Lily was helping James revise, rewarding him heavily with kisses as there were no first years around to traumatize for life. Sirius actually had his head in his work for once, having gone through twice as much in one night as he had done in the entire time they had been on break.

Leaning her head back into Harry's hand, Hermione moved her bishop to capture Moony's rook. Harry smiled at her, and resumed his stroking of her hair. It made her smile even wider when she realized she had Harry's hand running over her curls. He kept professing his love for her hair, and even if she was convinced it would do her good to cut it all off, he was starting to rub off on her. She was still worried he would ask about the night before. She had been worried about the level of experience he had, but that hadn't been the only thing, and she was determined to tell him, unwilling to keep the entire truth from him.

It seemed horribly vain and childish of her. When his hand had inched up her side, all she could think of was that he would feel her scar. That he would feel it, then pull back to look at it, then be completely disgusted and turned off by the disfigurement. When Dolohov's curse had hit her at the Department of Mysteries, she had been extremely lucky she had Silenced him. She would have been even luckier if she had Stunned him, but beggars can't be choosers. It had taken the considerable skill of Madam Pomfrey and Severus Snape to save her, seeing that if Dolohov had been in full command of his voice she would have been sliced in half. The scar was still there, and had never healed completely. It ran from her lower back across her left hip, going in a thick line over her stomach and between her breasts over her right shoulder.

It had been a while since she had thought of it. She had been to France with her parents, and it had helped somewhat to be on a beach, wearing a bikini. However, an incident in their sixth year had brought it to the fore front of her mind whenever she dealt with boys she liked, especially Harry. Cormac had seen her in her dress for Slughorn's party, and had looked at her in disgust.

"Are you really going to leave _that_ uncovered?" he asked, staring at her shoulder.

"What?" She hadn't known what he was asking at first, but when he gestured to her scar she flushed then asked quietly, "Do you want me to cover it?"

His reaction was imedient. "Of course. Don't think I'm gonna date you if you go around with that in public view. You are going to do something to it later right? Like cosmetic potions or what ever Muggles use to change their appearance. That's damn ugly Granger."

Emotions fluttering, she altered the dress so it covered the entire scar, adding a Glamour to it anyway. The rest of the night had been subdued, with her escape from Cormac. Later, in bed, she had wondered what Harry would say. She had decided then that she would do her best to never let him see it. On both their dates, she had used a Glamour to disguise the scar. However, it was still there, and if you passed a hand over it, you would still feel it. She was unsure of how Harry would react. She was almost sure he would not react with blatant disgust as Cormac had done. On the other hand, she was not sure he would not try and drown himself with guilt. Her Harry always took blame for things that were not really his fault. But that was what made him Harry, so she tried not to complain to much when he did it.

She had never spoken to anyone at how close to death she had come that night at the Ministry. It would have done no one good, least of all her or Harry. And speaking (thinking, really) of Harry, she was further resolved in her desire to tell him what had bothered her when she saw the worried look she wasn't meant to see. She had latched on to the first reason she could think of, and to tell the truth, that was true too.

It didn't take too long for her to beat Remus. Harry and Ron had always found it amusing that she had found an ardent desire to learn how to play chess after their adventure in first year. She and Harry would have been helpless if Ron had not been there, and Hermione hated being so helpless that she had to rely on that red haired black hole. She shook her head to rid herself of thoughts she really didn't want to have, and shook her head at Remus' offer of another go. Instead she took Harry's hand.

"Do you want to go for a little walk with me?" Harry was no idiot, and he had known her for years. He knew when she wanted to talk about something and was sure he had a pretty good idea of what it was that she wanted to talk about.

"Of course. We still have a good hour until dinner." The two of them clasped hands, and walked out of the Common Room, waiting until the Fat Lady swung shut before opening their mouths.

"Harry-"

"Hermione-"

"You go first"

All were said in unison, and both fell silent, then broke out in smiles. Hermione gave a sheepish grin, when gestured to the right, which would lead to a set of stairs that would lead to the Astronomy Tower. "Maybe we should wait for somewhere more private?"

Thankfully, Harry smiled back. "Right. Lead on."

It only took them ten minutes to get to the Tower, and an additional three to get comfortable with warming charms and a Conjured blanket. Side by side, the two sat in silence for a moment before Harry started speaking.

"I'm sorry, 'Mione. That was completely wrong of me to do that. I got the wrong idea earlier, and should have realized-"

"No Harry. That was entirely my fault. I-I didn't tell you the entire truth last night." It was hard to get the words out. She just wanted this night to be over...

Harry's voice hardened a bit. "What's the entire truth?"

Hermione bit her lip, then took a deep breath. "Promise not to feel guilty or tell me it's your fault?" She winced when she thought about how that would sound to him, but waited for him to agree anyway.

When she received a terse nod, she continued. "I was a little freaked out. That was the first time I've ever gone so far with a boy. So sorry about that. But I was also worried about, my scar." The last two words were said in a voice almost too quiet for Harry to hear.

"Come again?" he asked, unsure of what he heard.

"My scar," she said, in a louder voice. "From the Department on Mysteries. From when Dolohov cursed me."

She could hear the confusion in Harry's voice when he began to speak. "But I can't see it. I thought it was healed, you know... it wasn't there yesterday or the day before."

"I am a witch, Harry. I used a Glamour. You never saw it because I asked Molly to do it at Number 12 and when I was at school I did it myself, whenever I went without my robes. But if you Glamour a rock to look like it was covered in moss, if you touch the rock it will still feel smooth." She hated how sad her voice sounded. "Your hand was about a centimeter from it and I-I-"

Harry's voice sounded rough, and he put an arm around her. "I would never care about a scar, Hermione. It can't be that bad," he finished, sounding a little unsure. He couldn't remember much from that night, from that time. He remembered seeing Hermione go down, when feeling so empty until Neville found a pulse. He didn't really remember the extent of the curse, or anything detailed.

Hermione's voice shook a little when she spoke. "It is."

Harry sounded a more than a little insecure when he made his request. "May I see?"

Hermione gasped, before controlling herself. It was perfectly logical for him to want to see, giving what she had said. But she had promised herself...

"Please 'Mione." Harry's voice was strained. "Please. I-"

"Okay." Hermione took another shaky breath, then started unbuttoning her robes, hands shaking. This went against everything she wanted. She had made sure to disguise her scar when Harry had been around for almost two years. With her robes off, she stood up, and Harry followed her lead. They were both standing on the blanket, Harry looking at her intently, eyes worried. Slowly, she lifted up the left side of her shirt, pulling it up to just below her bra.

"Finte Incatatum."

Harry let out a strangled breath when the Glamour fell. For the first time, he laid eyes on the ugly, curving line going around her hip and up past her belly button. It was thick, and raised, red and irritated. His eyes traced the scar, mind whirling so fast Hermione could almost hear it.

"Oh 'Mione. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry-" Harry was freaking out as he sank down to the floor, eyes never leaving her belly. Hermione dropped her shirt, sinking down with him.

"You promised you wouldn't feel guilty. It was entirely my fault for Silencing not Stunning Dolohov. It taught me a valuable lesson and-"

"If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have been there."

Hermione crawled closer to Harry and hugged him tightly, corners of her mouth lifting slightly when he hugged her back. "Do not think for one second I regret being there. If I had my way, we would never have had to go. But since you had too, I did too. If I had to do it over again I would do the same thing. Harry Potter, I never want to be anywhere else than by your side."

Harry lifted eyes that were heavy with unshed tears to her face. "But-"

"No buts. I love you, and I want to be with you when you are in danger and when you aren't. It doesn't matter too much to me, Harry." Harry just held her for a moment, composing himself. Hermione had seen him cry many times, but this would not be one of them.

"Thanks, 'Mione. Do you mind?" She understood what he wanted, and felt slightly better about it. She stood again, lifting her shirt so her abdomen was visible. Harry remained on the floor, his head level with her belly. With careful fingers, he traced the scar from her back to where she held her shirt. She vaguely noticed she was trembling, lost in sensation.

That was why she was completely shocked when Harry suddenly pressed the side of his face to her waist. With a kiss on her belly button, he stood, taking her face in his hands and kissing her thoroughly.

"Hermione Jane Granger. I love you: every part of you, from you mind to your scar. _Never_ think you have to hide anything from me. Okay?" Hermione was so relieved she just nodded and let him hold her.

But she had to be sure. "It doesn't disgust you? It doesn't bother you, or make you sick?" The look of revulsion in Cormac's eyes was hard to forget. She didn't want Harry looking at her the same way...

"Of course not. What would make you think something like that?" Harry reassured her.

Voice catching, she told him about Cormac, watching as his eyes grew harder and harder, taking deep breaths to keep his magic under control.

"I'll kill the little bugger. That imbecile, the sheer stupidity of the little-" The look in Harry's eye was truly frightening.

"Harry. In this dimension he isn't even born yet. Calm down." It took a while, but Harry got hold of his emotions.

"I'm sorry, 'Mione. I'm sorry that I was so thick that you even had to consider going out with that walking pile of human shaped shit."

That made Hermione laugh, and before the two of them knew it, they were back to the way they had been before, smiling and talking and laughing until they realized what time it was, and had to hurry down to dinner.

Christmas was over far too soon according to James and Sirius, and privately, Harry agreed with them. However, the girls were happy, eagerly awaiting the 30th, when they and their boyfriends would go to visit Lily's parents and sister.

The morning of the 30th was filled with much preperation as the quartet dressed and worried about their upcoming visit.

Lily was the worst, excited and happy, yet exceedingly nervous about the prospect of speaking civilly to her sister for the first time in six and a half years.

When the day finally arrived, Lily and Hermione spent most of the day in their dorm, talking and getting ready to go visit the Evans'. It was time for them to get dressed, and Lily was starting to second guess almost everything she had thought of before.

"Hermione? Does this make me look, you know, like I'm trying to hard?" It was very hard for Hermione to see her friend so worried and unsure of herself.

"You look fine Lily. Here, turn around so I can zip you up." Lily was dressed in a nice dress, red, with long sleeves and a longer hem than the girl was used to. She was wearing the gifts from her friends, and looked beautiful in her finery.

Hermione was wearing her charm bracelet, and a nice pair of earrings. A nice dress also did her service, a old dress of Lily's that had been transfigured to fit her. It only took the girls a few minutes to do their hair, Lily and Hermione both choosing to leave it down.

Subtle makeup applied, Hermione led the way down the stairs to the Common Room. James and Harry were waiting, and both were balls of nerves. Harry was, understandably, not very happy about seeing his aunt again, and James was nervous about meeting Lily's parents. But they all wanted to be there for Lily, so the uncomfortable party made their way to McGonagall's office, where they Flooed to Hogsmeade; James Apparating Lily and Harry and Hermione Apparating themselves to a park two minutes from Lily's house.

Slightly curious, they watched as Lily navigated her old neighborhood, waving at a few people she saw. When they reached the house, they could tell by the cars in front that Petunia was already there. Taking a deep breath, Lily rang the doorbell, smiling slightly as she listened to it echo through the house.

* * *

**Okay. Some of you will think this made absolutely no sense. The thing is, the whole date scene was written from Harry's POV. I decided to show Hermione's. I was rereading OotP, and thought about the curse Dolohov used. I think that would leave a pretty nasty scar. ALL girls have their vainities. For example, I would die if I had to cut off my hair. Hermione is a little sensitive about her scar. I would be too, simple as that. **

**Hermione didn't say anything because she really doesn't want Harry to know how badly she was hurt, but she realizes the need for truth in their relationship. She just kinda freaked. End of story.**

**I REACHED 300 REVIEWS! You should have heard me squeal. I really freaked out my brother... and my mum... and my dad...**

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**Note: I will not abandon this story. I might take a little break, but IT WILL BE FINISHED. I want to make it to 100k+, because to me, that would be the coolest thing ever. **

**SO... to end this monstrous AN, tell me what you like about this story. And make me happy with 340 or 350 reviews. I will promise to love y'all forever. And maybe give you a bonus chapter or outtake. (Harry's convo with Luna, or something else you guys want. Just tell me.)**

**Review, vote. Poll up now for the next chapter. I promise Chocolate covered strawberries will make an apperence soon. Happy Valentine's day. (speaking of strawberries... I got to extract strawberry DNA. It looks surprisingly similar to a spider web)  
ausland**


	17. Tea with the Evans

**Here you go: Chapter 17 bright and early on Tuesday morning as promised! This is mostly the visit with the Evans. This chapter was _hard_. I have seven frickin' projects due at various points this week. Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter out on Tuesday. I need some input for that chapter from you guys, so check out the poll.**

**Poll this week goes to Okay. Lily and Petunia start reaching out to each other. Chapter is dedicated to... LoveMichigan. (I was born in the UofM. Long story) **

**Enjoy, and give your opinions on the Evans'. By the way, Dahlia is the best flower name I could find for Lily's mum. I was looking up 'flower names for girls' on google. My friend thought I was preggers, and it was hilarious to see her face. I almost wet my pants laughing.**

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The light pattering of footsteps could be heard as Mrs. Evans almost ran to the door. "Lily!" she shouted, welcoming the rest of the teenagers inside.

Hugging her daughter tightly, Dahlia Evans, smiled at her guests. "Hello dears. Lily, introduce us please!" Lily gave her mum one last squeeze, then grabbed James' arm.

"James, this is my mum, Dahlia Evans. Mum, this is my boyfriend, James Potter." Hermione and Harry stepped forward, Harry staring at his grandmother with delight.

Dahlia Evans was a very pretty lady, who looked very much like her youngest daughter. She was the same height as her daughter, which meant both James and Harry were much, much, taller. Shoulder length red hair, with a few strands of white, was pushed back behind her ears, and bright blue eyes were framed by thin laugh lines. She had a long slender neck, and tanned, freckled skin. Smiling, she gave a surprised James a hug, kissing him and her daughter on the cheek. She then turned to Harry, looking from him to James, to Lily. "Lily," she asked in a quiet voice, "who is this boy and why does he have your eyes?"

Lily panicked, looking to Hermione for help. Hermione smiled, and held on to Harry's arm. "Mrs. Evans," she started, "My name is Hermione Granger. This is Harry Potter. I think we need to wait for you to sit down for us to tell you who he really is, alright?" Mrs. Evans was obviously bright, and curious about Harry. However, she nodded, giving both of them hugs and leading them to the sitting room.

"Your sister is already here darling, and she and your father are talking. I do say, Richard was overjoyed to hear you were coming over. Why didn't you come home this year? You said in your letter you had something important to do but..." Dahllia's voice trailed off when she entered the sitting room. Hermione had taken the opportunity to look around the house, admiring the stylish and tasteful decor. Entering the sitting room, she almost gasped.

Harry had gotten more than just his eyes from his mother's side of the family. Richard Evans was a handsome man, with a slightly horse like face. He had bright green eyes, more jade than emerald, that lit up with laughter at something a young Petunia Evans had said. Petunia took after her father more than her mother, and the result was a young woman with a long neck and long face. However, echos of her sister were present in both her apperence and manner, if not her laugh, which had a slight bray.

Harry had winced in obvious distaste at the sight of Petunia, but quickly schooled his face. This was important to his mother, who he was eager to please. He realized he had been focusing on Hermione, and was eager to get to know his parents better before June. Lily's father stood up when they entered, and Petunia's eyes widened before she followed suit.

"Lily!" Richard Evans walked, almost running to his daughter to fold her into his arms. "I missed you flower-child. You need to come home more often."

Petunia stood behind her father, a sad, almost desperate look passing over her features before she smiled shyly at Lily. When their father let go of Lily, Petunia stepped up. "Hey," she said, watching to see Lily's reaction.

"Hey," Lily replied, smiling back. "I missed you Tunie."

The childhood nickname made Petunia smile wider, and the sisters embraced, both crying a little. Dahlia and Richard were watching in shock as the two hugged, squeezing each other tightly. Lily and Petunia had been particularly close as sisters. They acted like best friends, fighting sometimes, but always friends by bedtime. Their relationship had been strained when Lily started school, doing much better than her sister, who if not bright was mostly passable. Then again, Lily was very cute as a child and Petunia had never had adults really dote on her. Things had gotten even worse when Severus Snape had moved to Spinner's End, only a few minutes from the park where Lily and Petunia liked to play. Then, violently, the two girls were at odds. Before they had known it, Petunia was green and Lily was happy.

SLowly the two seperated, still smiling. Lily grabbed James' hand tightly, and he gulped. Meeting your girlfriend's father was about a thousand times harder when you come from a different world. However, James had nothing to fear. Richard Evans was a kind man, who loved his daughter and respected her choices. What made him a bit hesitant was the number of letters that Lily had had written with the words, "I HATE JAMES POTTER" as the first sentance.

Lily smiled brightly, if nervously at her parents and sister. "Daddy, Tunie, this is James Potter, my boyfriend. James, this is my father, Richard Evans and my sister Petunia Evans."

Hands were shook and greetings exchanged before Dahlia looked sternly at Lily. "And what about Hermione and Harry?"

The two mentioned looked at each other, and shrugged. Hermione spoke, asking them to sit down. "How do you all feel about magic and the world your daughter lives in?" she asked as her first question, leaning into her boyfriend.

The two older Evans exchanged glances, then Richard spoke. "We're okay with it. We will never be completely comfortable with it, nor will we shun it."

Hermione smiled faintly. "Good. Has Lily told you anything about time or dimension travel?"

This recieved wide eyed looks from all the Evans. "What?"

"Time Travel. Or Dimensional Transportation," Hermione explained.

"No. She hasn't said anything. Was she supposed to?" This was followed by barbed looks in Lily's direction, looks that were quelled with Hermione's next sentance.

"No. She probably thought she wasn't allowed to tell you." Hermione pulled Harry closer to his grandparents. "Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Petunia, this is Harry James Potter, firstborn son of Lily and James Potter, born on July 31, 1980. I'm Hermione Granger, born September 19, 1979."

Dahlia's eyes widened, then she almost fainted. Richard supported his wife, then examined Harry with critical eyes. Petunia just sighed. "I knew any son of yours would be-"

Harry glared at her. "Aunt Petunia, don't finish that sentence. I put up your whale of a son for seventeen years, and-"

He was stopped by Hermione. "Harry. You know there are limits to what we can reveal to Muggles." Her hand on his arm calmed him, and he closed his eyes.

"My apologies, Miss Evans. I have no clue what came over me."

Richard and Dahlia had been watching this scene with analytical eyes. "Harry," started Dahlia, "If you are our grandson, why are you looking at us like this is the first time we've met?"

Harry smiled bitterly. "Because it is. Three out of the seven people in this room are alive when I turn two."

This was the cause for gasps. The Evans did the math, two people who were obviously alive, and over age two, and one who they spoke with familiarly.

"Oh, God." That was Dahlia. She stood up shakily, and gave Harry a tight hug, which he returned. "Oh, God. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry darling." Harry just patted her back, telling her something Hermione couldn't hear.

It took a while, but their hosts calmed themselves in time for tea to start. James and Lily sat on the loveseat, and Harry and Hermione sat next to each other, across from the Evans. Petunia sat next to her parents, on the big couch. A beautiful tea service had been set out, and dainty cups were dwarfed in the hands of the men before they resumed talking.

"So, Harry," began Richard. "What do you do?"

Harry and Hermione laughed, along with James. It was James who explained, smiling slightly. "He doesn't need to do anything. He's a Potter."

This only confused Richard, who turned to Harry. "Can you explain?"

Harry nodded solomnly. "Yeah. For one, the Potters left me enough money that I could buy England if I wanted to and still never have to work for the rest of my life. My children will never want for anything, and we have enough money that six or seven generations could sit around the house and marry several Marie Antonettes before someone would have to get a job. Then, I got the Black Vaults, which means another twenty generations of doing nothing."

Richard looked put off by this. "So you don't want a job?"

At this Harry shook his head. "No, I want a job. I just havn't had time for it, or qualifications for any Wizarding or Muggle jobs."

"You don't? Are you a wizard?" In response, Harry Transfigured the piano bench into a dog, then back. Hermione took out her wand and charmed the tea pot to dance. Richard chuckled weakly. "I guess that answers that question. But you-"

"I dont have a job because I didn't do my last year at Hogwarts. I was the run, hunted like an animal by the man who killed my parents and my grandparents, and whose followers killed just about every adult I cared about. They tortured my best friend for two months, they forced me to kill, and steal from the greatest bank in the world. I flew out on a freakin' _dragon_." The could all hear the bitterness and pain in Harry's voice. "It ended with a huge battle, where I killed him. I will eventually get a job somewhere. Prolly the Ministry or something similar. I don't know yet." Harry's voice was tired and when Hermione put a hand on his arm, he just looked at her and shook his head. "Loo?"

"Down the hall to the right." Harry stood abruptly, and left.

Lily glared at her parents. "I bring your grandson to meet you, and you treat him like this. That man has been through more than you can imagine. This woman," she said in a heated whisper, "Was the one who was tortured for months. Who was starved and beaten so baddly that when James and I found her, she looked like a bloody steak. You will treat them with respect or we will leave."

Richard started, put Dahlia answered. "Of course dear. We are in shock-"

Hermione interrupted. "Lily! Your parents just met a man claiming to be their grandson. Then he says he doesn't have a job, killed people, robbed a bank, then murdered somebody. Harry's just having a hard time seeing-" Hermione cut herself off. "Never mind. I'll just talk with him quickly. Okay?"

Hermione was feeling slightly uncomfortable with the looks Dahlia and Petunia were giving her. She looked down, and cursed the dress. Even though she had gained some weight in the first few days she had been here, she was still absurdly skinny. She was gaunt, and the other women were noticing. Quickly, she stood and excused herself, going to find Harry.

He was in the hallway, and when he saw Hermione he pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair, wrapping his arms around her. "I can't do it 'Mione. They just looked at me..."

Hermione pulled back to look at him and told him the exact same thing she had told the Evans. "Harry, you said to much. Just tell them a little bit about yourself. Leave out the parts featuring Tom as much as you can. Okay?"

They had only been gone for a few minutes, but when they reentered the room, James and Richard were having an intense conversation on sports and the girls were talking together. Harry and Hermione stopped in the door, his arm around her waist still as they watched the heartwarming scene.

Lily looked up and noticed them, face breaking out into a smile. The smile fell of her face when she noticed the expressions on both of the teens. Hermione was pensive; Harry, sad. The scene that was playing out before them was the way things should have gone, and the sad part was that Harry should have been familiar with it.

They walked back in, Harry apologizing, and the Evans fussing and inviting them to stay for dinner. The rest of the tea went well, Mr. Evans interviewing the man he knew would be his future son in law, and Mrs. Evans talking quietly with Harry and Hermione.

Petunia and Lily spent a lot of time conversing, speaking happily, if a bit hesitiantly, about their lives. Petunia had taken Lily's advice, and broke it off with Vernon. She had done a lot of soul searching after reading Lily's letter. Vernon had been a bit abusive in the months they had been together, and it had taken the concerned letter from her little sister to make her see the truth behind the important, normal, man.

Harry had made a much better second impression than first impression on the Evans'. Mrs. Evans was completely charmed by her grandson, blushing as he complemented her cooking and helped her with the dishes. Hermione also was a big hit with the Evans', who knew from Lily that she would probably be their future granddaughter in law.

James also used the 'Potter Charm' on Lily's parents, cracking jokes and telling amusing anecdotes to make them laugh. The only one who he and Harry really did not attempt to charm as Petunia, who noticed.

Petunia had been having a lovely evening. Her sister was talking to her, she was talking to her sister, and she met this boy who had been tormenting Lily for so many years. At first, she had been jealous of her sister, trying to push the emotion back. The man in front of her was handsome, but the other boy was, well, sexier than her sister's boyfriend. When she had found out James would probably marry Lily, she had not been too surprised. However, when she found out that the other boy was her nephew, she had felt squicky. She had lusted after her nephew? Then, the rest of the day had proven beyond doubt to her that Harry and James both did not like her very much, and both were very devoted to their women.

However, the level of amnosity she felt rolling off Harry whenever she was near him was almost frightening to the woman. She had once over heard Lily telling their parents that for magical people, emotions were more tangible, and they subconciously projected emotions they wanted others to notice. Petunia had stored this fact away, feeling for once, sorry for her sister. What would it be like for your crush to feel emotions of want every time he came near you? Later, she had not really paid attention, hiding the morsel away in the recesses of her brain. Now the nugget of information came to the fore front of her mind. Harry and James _really _did not like her.

However, the woman who was so unlike Lily, despite being sisters, shrugged it off, pushing it back to whereever it had been before, smiling and laughing with her family.

It was almost seven when Mrs. Evans brought out the dessert. They all had chosen the sitting room over the dining room for the coffee and cake, so there they rested, Hermione and Lily grinning at each other as they took identical cups of coffee. However, one key element was missing. The house elves at Hogwarts had discovered Hermione's love for chocolate. She loved chocolate covered anything, strawberries, rasins, expresso beans. She especially loved chocolate in her coffee. So when the house elves uncovered 'Miss Miney's' love of mochas, they always added some chocolate to her 'snack coffee,' but not her morning coffee. Hermione always took that the exact same way: one sugar, one spoon of cream.

Hermione just grinned at Lily, waving her wand to make a little packet of poweder appear beside Lily's cup. "It tastes just like whatever the elves put in our coffee at school. Trust me, it's great." Lily obeyed her friend, pouring the chocolate into the coffee, taking a sip, and sighing.

"Thanks Hermione. That's what was missing. The elves really do spoil us, don't they?" The rest of the family looked at the two girls, then started laughing.

"What?" They asked, at the exact same time.

Harry was the first to answer his girlfriend. "You two act like you've been friends for years. You make me think of what you and Ginny should have been like, or the not shallow versions of Lavender and Parvarti."

This made Hermione narrow her eyes at her boyfriend, who smiled weakly. "What do you want me to say, 'Mione? That your-"

Now it was Hermione's turn to laugh. "Be quiet. I was just-"

"Kidding me, I know, I know." Harry pouted, and Hermione smacked his arm lightly while he pouted some more.

"Stop it, you dolt. I swear-"

"Sometimes you think I don't have a brain in my head. I have you memorized darling." Dahlia looked at her daughter who shrugged.

"They've known each other for almost eight years. They always act like an old married couple," Lily explained, causing the two in question to shrugg and blush.

More coffee was poured and Dahlia passed out more goodies. Sitting back, the red haired woman looked at Harry, before smiling. "So Harry, Hermione. How did you meet?"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other before smirking. "Well, Harry saved my life. I was about to become troll food-"

Dahlia gasped. "Wait, just wait. Did you say _troll food?_"

Harry nodded solomnly. "Yep. I saved her pretty little arse from a troll, and then she figured out where a trap door was, which led to her saving my best mate and I from Devil's Snare and poison."

"Poison?" Dahlia squeaked.

Harry nodded again. "Yes. So far, Hermione and I have been in mortal danger together..." Harry stopped for a moment, forehead furrowing.

"At least fifteen times dear. I lost count after we stormed the Ministry," Hermione replied promtly.

"Storming the Ministry!" Dahlia was white at this point. "What please tell me you haven't done anything else so illegal!"

Harry laughed. "Well, I robbed the greatest wizarding bank in the world. And- well, we've done a large number of illegal things in our days. Let's see, in our seven, almost eight years of knowing each other we've faced trolls, three headed dogs, Professors with bits of Dark Lord stuck to the back of his head, Devil's Snare, which is a fatal plant, a chessboard that wanted to kill us, a riddle that if we guessed wrong it meant death, giant snakes that can kill with one look, a werewolf, a hippogriff, a sadistic professor, a giant, a group of Death Eaters, dementors, a battle, another battle, a scrimage, a giant snake, a-"

"Harry!" Hermione admonished. "You are going to scare them. And you forgot Polyjuiced Death Eater who cast an Unforgivable on us."

By now, everyone was looking at them with astonishment. Hermione blushed. "You don't really know him yet. He usually doesn't like to talk about all that stuff. But he wants you guys to like him. And I'm always telling him to be less modest and he must have taken it the wrong way."

Harry just blushed a few shades darker than Hermione, then mock glared at her. "I am the defeater of the Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Make-Up-A-Stupid-Name-Himself, Lord Voldieshorts. I can talk about whatever I've done, however, and where ever I want."

This got everyone laughing again. Coffee went just fine, and Lily gave her parents huge hugs before they all left, with promises to return after the term ended from Lily and James. Hermione and Harry just watched sadly, knowing that they were not going to be there. Walking down the street to the Apparation point, Lily gave Hermione a curious glance.

"I thought we weren't goning to tell my parents about Harry."

Hermione just shrugged. "Change of plan. They would have probably guessed soon anyway. I really rather them know the truth, and I'm sure you and James would too."

Harry looked confused. "What about me?"

Hermione looked at him affectionately. "I knew you wanted them to know, silly. I have met you, you know." This caused Harry to laugh, almost tripping when they turned the corner. Their Apparation went smoothly, and one by one they Flooed to McGonagall's office.

"How did it go?" asked the professor, who knew of Petunia's jealousy.

Lily smiled brightly. "Great! I had a good time and Tunie was being nice to me for the first time in years," she said, taking James' hand. The quartet walked slowly to the tower, joking and laughing. Remus and Sirius were still up, waiting for them to return.

After a full rerun of the night, everyone turned in for bed, Harry and Hermione going to their seperate rooms reluctantly. They both knew that they wouldn't sleep much, and knew that they would have to get used to sleeping apart. Lily, however, had other ideas. She had a plan, and would be talking to McGonagall or Dumbledore latter.

Although not quite as well read as Hermione, Lily was a mind to be reckoned with all by herself. She had read both _Hogwarts: A History_ and _The Student's Guide to Advancement at Hogwarts _several times. She had researched most of the school rules when she was younger, trying to get James and Sirius into trouble by proving that they were breaking a major school rule. Lily had a good memory, and remembered what she had read. Hogwarts rules said that a boy and a girl could share a room if they were married, engaged, or they had a medical reason.

Lily may have been a witch, but she had grown up as a Muggle. She knew that PTSD was a medical reason, and that if anyone had Post Tramatic Stress Disorder, it was Hermione. Or Harry, for that matter. She knew if they were taken to a doctor and that doctor was told about all they had been through, he would have diagonsed them in an instant. She also knew that if that didn't work, Harry could ask Hermione to marry him. She knew that Harry had been planning on asking Hermione sometime soon, and neither would protest if the date was moved up by a few months.

Hermione had confided in the girl, and Lily knew that she was the closest person Hermione had to a sister, or best friend. Lily may have only known the girl for a few months, but already knew that she wanted her to be her Maid of Honor for her wedding. She also knew Sirius would be James' best man, because, well, they were James and Sirius. If Sirius ever got married James would be his best man. It was simply the way the two boys worked. Lily also had a sneaking suspicision that Hermione wished Lily could be her Maid of Honor, or at least one of her bridesmaids. If that was truely the case, Lily hoped she could persuade Harry to propose a wedding in June.

Plan set in her mind, Lily almost did not notice Hermione get up with a blanket to head down to the Common Room, with the key word being almost. Lily just smiled and rolled over, thinking about how cute it was that the couple could not keep their hands off each other. Her plan would work for sure...

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**How was it? You know the drill, review and vote for me. I just had a brilliant idea for plot purposes, so that is definately going to be in the story. I have a brilliant question for this week's poll. Note that I am pretty sure about what is going to happen, but I definately want your opinion. Winter break should be over for our favorite couple in just one more chapter. 19 will definatly have Severus and Amanda in them. And Peter, treacherous little rat he is. Maybe I should have Harry kill him...**

**Anyway, give me your thoughts. I want and need them. I want to freak out my class by squealing again like I did last week. (I was supposed to be taking notes on my computer, but instead I was checking my reviews. Thanks to you all, and I am very sorry Ms. Munoz. It was nothing personal.)**

**Wish me luck for my English presentation, and review and vote to make me happy. This weeks question is... Should Dumbledore be able to persuade Harry and Hermione to try and keep their relationship under wraps when school starts again? Pros: Amanda flirts heavily with Harry and gets her just desserts. Severous befriends Harry before finding out about Hermione. Someone flirts with Hermione and Harry displays power, which brings them to the attention on Tom, which means more plot. Cons: It might be hard for Filch to scrape Amanda and Random Guy off the floor. Harry and Hermione fight. **

**Add to either list if you can think of anything else. Thank you, and review and vote!**


	18. The Room

**Welcome to Chapter 18! Holy cow, I almost have 20 chapters in this thing. I wonder how long it's gonna be...**

**Anyway, happy Tuesday. Read, enjoy, and I will see you next Tuesday for the next installment. Don't forget to review.**

**Poll goes to... I'm not gonna say. You will see... Promise. This chapter is dedicated to SionTenoh. I loved your ideas. Expect a Harry/Sev talk sometime in the near chapters.**

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The end of the Winter break was approaching must too fast for all the seventh year Gryffindors. the New Year having come in with a bang. Now there was only three more days before the return of the rest of the students for the second semester. James had done his homework at the insistence of Lily, but Sirius was grumpily doing his now, having been told off by Professor McGonagall. The rest of the Marauders were busy playing chess or with their girlfriend's hair.

"Harry!" Lily shouted in exasperation. "Take your bloody eyes off your girlfriend and make a move!"

Harry blushed embarrassedly, and moved his bishop. "Sorry Lily. Your turn."

"Well, it's 'bout bloody time," the girl muttered, while James laughed.

Remus looked up from his book to wink at Hermione. "That is why I never play with Lily. In her own words, she gets 'too bloody impatient' and yells at you." He said, using his falsetto to impersonate Lily, who just grumbled and told James to smack him.

Hermione, who was also reading, smirked at James. "You hit Remus and I hit you."

James gave her an innocent look. "Me? Why would I do such a thing?"

Hermione wrinkled her nose at him. "Because I know you do whatever Lily wants you to."

That got everyone laughing, even Sirius who thumped James' back. "I told you so! Everyone knows you're whipped!"

The games went on and the books were read. It was almost nine when McGonagall appeared in the Gryffindor Common Room, hair in a tighter bun than usual and looking very annoyed.

"For some reason, the Headmaster requires your presence his office. No, Miss Granger, I have no idea why he wants you and Mr. Potter at his hour."

Hermione flushed, wondering how the stern professor could alread know her so well. It served to show that somethings would never change...

Harry and Hermione exchanged looks, then got up to follow Professor McGonagall. Both were wondering what the old man could possiblely want at the late hour. Obviously Lily had a clue, looking at Hermione and winking, so the two were not too worried. When they got to the gargoyle, McGonagall let them in and waited with them on the revolving staircase.

The headmaster was at his desk, reading a large tome as he waited for them, looking up when the trio entered the room. "Ah, Miss Granger, Mr. Potter. Thank you for coming. Lemon drop?" Harry and Hermione both refused, as did Professor McGonagall with a look of shock.

They all sat down at the chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk, watching the old man warily. Harry and Hermione had taken the time to have a long discussion a few days ago, about Dumbledore. They knew he wasn't the horrible, sneaky man he was when they had known him. However, they also knew he was well on the path leading to that destination. They decided to talk with him, not being overtly hostile. On the other hand, they would not let him try and manipulate them either. They were somewhat surprised they were putting their resolutions to the test so soon, but both were glad of the chance to suss out where this Dumbledore stood.

"Did you ask us here for a reason Professor?" asked Hermione. She was starting to regret getting him his Christmas present, wishing she had rememebered how annoying it was to have him ask that particular question before getting to anything important.

"Yes Miss Granger. I was wondering what you and Mr. Potter were planning to do for the start of term?"

This question confused everyone, prompting Harry to ask, "Why? Is what we are doing now wrong?"

Dumbledore looked sadly at them and shook his head. "No. I was wondering if I could persuade you to keep your relationship under wraps, so to speak, for a while."

This incensed Minerva, who glared at him. "Albus! Why would you suggest something like that?"

"I have my reasons Minerva-"

Hermione cut in. "Your reasons my arse. Pardon my language, but we are not going to stand for any of your keeping secrets BS. That is unacceptable Professor Dumbledore." She glared at the old man, and was rewarded by the shock in his eyes.

"Well Miss Granger-"

McGonagall glared at Dumbledore causing him to falter. "Albus Dumbledore. You just asked these young people to keep their romance hidden for no good reason. Now please explain yourself, or I will call Aberforth in here to-"

"No, there is no need for such actions. I will explain." Hermione almost laughed. It was sometimes funny to see how scary her favorite professor could be when angry.

"You see, Miss Granger is probably the only thing preventing young Severus Snape from becoming a Death Eater. She is also the focus of the affections of about half the Slytherin House-"

This time Dumbledore was interrupted by Harry. "WHAT! Half of _Slytherin_ has a crush on Hermione!" he yelled, causing Hermione to bury her head in her hands. Reluctantly, Harry sat back down and rubbed her back.

Dumbledore nodded, eyes still twinkling. "Yes. Miss Granger has been idolized through out the Slytherin house for her assistance in their tutoring sessions. But there is also the problem of the two of you sleeping together."

Harry and Hermione threw terrified looks at each other. "We can explain-"

Dumbledore just laughed. "It is quite all right with me. But not with the Board of Governors. However, Miss Evans found a solution for your problem. I can give the two of you a set of rooms to share. However, the two of you cannot be a couple if that is to happen. You see, to share a room the two people need to be of the same gender, or married. But if there is a medical reason, then it can be allowed. Obviously, the two sharing the room cannot be romanticly involved. Miss Evans said that the two of you would be diagonsed as canidates for a Muggle disease, Post Tramatic Stress Disorder. If I can present that the two of you cannot sleep without each other, then you would be granted a room. Then, later, you can claim that you realized you wanted a romantic relationship. There are certain ward that can be cast to alert me to sexual activity, and I could use these to take away the protests. It would only be for a short time."

Harry and Hermione exchanged silent messages while McGonagall gaped at Dumbledore. Harry spoke for the couple. "Maybe we could be agreeable to this agraigment. We have been worried about what we would do when the term started for sleep."

Dumbledore nodded wisely. "Yes. It would also provide less suspicion for the two of you. Think of how it would appear to the other students."

The image made Hermione laugh. "Yeah. Random new student who knows the other random new student. Apparently both are lovers who need to share bed to sleep. Both are immensly powerful and crazy."

This caused the rest of the group to laugh. Harry only had one protest before giving in. "Okay. We can do this. But I can't promise what I'll if any Slytherin starts flirting with Hermione."

They all left Dumbledore's office happy and hopeful, but unwilling to let the vacation end.

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"The two of you have to pretend your not dating?" Lily was enraged. "That was not what I wanted to happen, I swear. I thought Dumbledore-"

"It's fine Lily," argued Hermione. "It kinda has too happen. If Harry and I are going to get what we want we have to play his game. We act like best friends for two weeks and we get a private room for the rest of the year. We'll be fine."

"I guess. I sorry though." Lily really sounded sad, and Hermione reached out and gave the redhead a hug.

"It's okay, Lils. It's only for a few weeks. Don't you think we can do it?"

Lily laughed. "I don't know. The two of you seem like such a perfect couple. No one will be surprised when the truth comes out."

The rest of the vacations passed quickly. Before anyone could blink it was the night before the rest of the students would be arriving. The Marauders and Lily were sitting with Harry and Hermione, as they tried to plan out how they would act.

"Well, Dumbledore said he would take care of the teachers. He just wants us to act like we did before." Hermione was running though it again, even though they had already walked through it a thousand times.

"Sirius and I will have to flirt with Hermione, you know that Harry, right?" Remus looked understandably nervous. They had all seen a rather shocking display of power a few days ago when Harry had though Hermione was hurt.

It had been a simple enough assumption. Remus and Sirius had been joking around and had bumped Hermione, causing her to shrek as she lost her balance and fell down a staircase. Harry had been below them, and had just thrust out with his magic, slowing Hermione's fall until she landed in his arms. All had been well and Hermione was fine, but Harry gave both boys a huge chewing out, with help from Lily, while Hermione was checked over by Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing.

But today Harry groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. But I'm not too happy about it."

Hermione just blushed and snuggled into Harry's chest. "You know I'll turn them down as usual. All I could ever want is you." Harry just smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Likewise, darling." Hermione shivered and gazed up at him lovingly.

Lily smiled inwardly. How on Earth were they going to make it two weeks without acting like a couple? It was little things: Harry knowing exactly when to interupt Hermione's reading without castration, Hermione appearing with a cup of tea two seconds after he mentioned he wanted one, Harry shifting and Hermione unconciously doing the same, the silent conversations. The two of them were meant for each other, and all could see it. Hermione looked happy and lively, giggling and smiling and laughing, eyes bright and cheeks red. Harry also looked very relaxed and happy, nothing like the moody boy Hermione had told her about.

Apparently James had been having the same thoughts as Lily, as the next words out of his mouth were, "How the hell are the two of you going to act like 'just friends' for two weeks?"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other and shrugged simlutaniously. Hermione gave a sad smile. "I hid my feeling from him for almost seven years. I can do the same for two weeks."

Harry hugged her to his side, leaving almost enough room on the chair for another person. "I think I'll do okay as long as no one goes near or looks Hermione."

Remus and Sirius, glanced at each other, then burst out laughing. "Hermione is one of the most popular people in this school. Not only because she hangs out with us, but because she's friends with everybody. Even the Slytherins like her cunning and her help. The Ravenclaws admire her brain. The Hufflepuffs love how loyal she is to her friends. The Gryffindors think she's one of the bravest people they'll ever meet."

Harry looked confused. "How do they know so much about her? How do they know she's brave?" Harry looked at Hermione nervously, quickly fixing his mistake. "Not that you aren't brave dear. It's just that they don't really know us."

James shrugged. "Well, they know she helps students who need it. She is obviously brilliant, and sneaky with the pranks she plays on or with us. She stood up for Sniv-" with a quick glance at Hermione, James quickly changed tracks. "Snape in front of everyone, and the entire school found out how brave she was thanks to that little snot Skeeter."

"Skeeter! Hermione-" Harry yelped, calming when Hermione patted his arm.

"Not Rita. Her little sister who is almost as annoying."

"Oh. What happened?" Harry looked to his mother for the truth, knowing by now how much James liked to embelish.

"Hermione was having nightmares, and she was screaming in her sleep," Lily explained. "She woke us up, and some of the other girls. They came to our dorm and saw me trying to wake her up. When Hermione woke up she saw me and Alice and said something along the lines of, 'I thought I got the two of you out of there. Get out before they capture you' before waking up enough. One of the other girls asked what happened and Dorcas answered. She said Hermione was getting over a tramatic experience and had bad dreams, and one of the little ones asked Hermione if that was why she was so thin. I lost my head a bit and told them that was what starvation does to you. Then I found my head and told them all to bugger off."

Harry turned Hermione around in his arms. "I thought you told me the nightmares stopped?" he said in a pained voice, not quite low enough for the others not to hear.

Hermione wouldn't meet his eyes. "They did. Once you were here they went away."

Harry would have said more, but the portriat hole opened, allowing Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall to step in. They were met with hopeful expressions as they crossed the room, Dumbledore smiling and McGonagall wearing her usual stern expression.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. I just finished meeting with the Board of Governers. They have granted you and Miss Granger a private room, on the condition I provide the proper wards," Dumbledore announced as he twinkled annoyingly.

Hermione squealed and gave Harry and quick kiss. "Thank you Professor!" she said, blushing.

Professor Dumbledore just chuckled. "Shall I show you to it?"

Everyone stood, watching as Professor Dumbledore walked over to a pair of stone lions. "Veritas." The two lions bowed their heads and between them appeared a winding spirl staircase. They all trooped up, stopping at the landing, leting Dumbledore open the door. The room had a small sitting room with a fireplace, with a door leading off to the bedroom. The bedroom was huge, the bed large enough to fit four people. It had an insuite bathroom, fitted with both a shower and a clawfoot tub.

"The bathroom is charmed to only allow one at a time. There is also a bath in the sitting room with minimal facilities. The wards will be put up now. Have you any questions?" Professor McGonagall seemed upset, not liking the fact that two students in a romatic relationship would be sharing a bed.

Hermione shook her head. "No Professor. But Harry and I can both promise you and Professor Dumbledore that nothing inapproprate will happen here. If it would not be allowed in the Common Room, it will not happen in this bedroom." Professor McGonagall gave Hermione a rare smile, and nodded at her.

"I will hold you to that Miss Granger. However, I have no reason to believe my trust misplaced." The rest of the tour was short, and the group headed back to the Common Room. The professors left, leaving the six to their own devices.

"Well." Sirius was looking grumpy. "You and Lover Boy get to share a bed."

Hermione just laughed. "Are you jealous Sirius? I didn't know you like Harry that way-"

Sirius' mouth opened, then closed, flapping in a very fishlike expression. "NO! But it's not fair that the two of you get to share a bed."

Harry glared at him. "You try taking N.E.W.T.s with no sleep. And you know what we're gonna have to do."

Sirius sighed. "Yeah. But what are you guys gonna do for your cover story?"

Lily and James looked at each other and nodded. "Yeah. The school gossip mill will kill for any juicy piece on Hermione. Remember the boggart?"

This time it was Harry's turn to look at his girlfriend. "Boggart? What else haven't you told me Hermione?"

Hermione just glared up at him defiently. "You would know if you had bothered to read your Christmas present."

Harry blushed a bit. "Uh, yeah. Sorry 'bout that. So what happened?"

James shook his head. "You have to promise not to kill anyone."

"That bad?" Harry asked, looking down at the girl curled up in his arms.

"Yeah. Not a very fun day." Hermione gave a sarcastic smile. "That was an understatement if you didn't get the hint."

Harry smiled. "Okay. Not a fun day." He then nodded at his father. "I promise not to kill anyone." When Sirius opened his mouth, Harry rolled his eyes. "Or maim, or torture. I will not do anyone any lasting harm."

James laughed. "Okay. So Professor Johnson had a surprise, and the surprise was a boggart. So we got to the office where it was and everyone took a turn banishing it-"

"Wait," Harry inturrupted. "Didn't you do that in third year?"

"Yeah, but we had to do it again to analyize how our boggarts changed. Part of the Healer program or something," Hermione told him quietly.

"Oh. Continue."

James rolled his eyes. "Okay. Sooo, as I was saying..."

Lily smacked her boyfriend. "Get on with it you great prat."

James rubbed his arm, pouting, while everyone laughed.

"Fine! So almost everyone had a new boggart, and Hermione was last. So Dorcas goes and steps back with the others who have already gone, and Hermione is the only one in front of the boggart. It changes into me and someone who looks like a younger and thinner version of Molly Weasley. They talk to her for a while, and then it changes into an ugly version of Bellatrix Black and a guy who looks like his father was a snake. And the person who looked like me, who I'm guessing was you, Harry. Then Bella kills Harry, who shouts, 'Ginny!" and dies. Then snake face tells Bella she can kill Hermione." James sat back with a pout. "Happy?"

Remus shook his head. "Nope. You left out the part when Bella taunts Hermione."

Harry had gone pale. "One second," he said, standing up and pulling Hermione after him. They walked to the opposite side of the room, Harry setting up a Silencing charm with a wave of his hand, showing how truely angery he was.

Inside the bubble of silence, Harry was almost glaring at Hermione. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before now?" he asked in a tortured voice. "Hermione-"

"What Harry? What do you want me to say? Yes, I've been unhappy here. I've missed you terriblely. I've faced a boggart and a group of will be Death Eaters and went to Hogsmeade with Snape. It's all in my journal. And what about you? Are you going to tell me about every single little thing that happened to you? Did you tell me how Ginny tried to kiss you again?" Hermione was out of breath, eyes blazing. Harry was almost as mad, air around him crackling faintly.

"How do you know about Ginny?" He accused. "Have you been messing around in my head?"

"No!" Hermione shot back. "I know Ginny well enough to know she would not accept that the two of you broke up. So of course she is going to kiss you as soon as possible. And apparently I was right!"

"You went on a date with Snape!" That really bugged Harry. Had she been unfaithful?

"No! I pretended so I could have a chance to talk to him. Just read the bloody journal Harry!" Hermione was almost as mad as Harry, and her hair was jumping with sparks of pure magic. She looked both scary and hot to Harry, who just leaned against the wall and sighed.

"What was your boggart?" asked Harry, the wind having gone out of his sails.

Hermione lost her anger, saying in a soft voice, "You telling me you had proposed to Ginny. And that you didn't want me in the wedding party. Then Bella torturing you until you die. Then she tells me some stuff and Voldemort tells her that she can kill me. That's all."

Harry pulled her into a hug, pressing her to his body. "I'm sorry, 'Mione. It's just-"

"You're scared," she finished for him, arms snaking around his back. "We'll be fine. It'll be just like living in the tent. Except-"

"Except we'll be living together as boyfriend and girlfriend." Harry kissed her gently. "It's not that I'm scared of living with you. It's just that I've wanted this for so long and I didn't really thing it would happen. I just want us to be happy. I want that brood of green-eyed bookworms. I want us to be completely open to each other."

Hermione laughed bitterly. "When has that ever happened? You never told me exactly what happened on the adventures you went on without me. And I-. We just need to talk. For a long time. Agreed?"

Harry smiled slightly. "Agreed. Ready for bed yet?"

Hermione nodded. "Sure. Let's just stay and say goodnight to everyone. Okay?"

"Okay." The two walked back to the area where everyone else was sitting. The others had been watching the fight with open interest; Sirius and Remus making a bet on the outcome.

"Fu-"

"Sirius Orion Black if you finish that word I will tell James about the Pink Thing." That was the only threat that worked on Sirius, who glared at Lily and tried again.

"Take the _freaking_ Galleons Lupin." He turned to Lily. "Better?"

She smirked. "Yep." She then looked at the couple that had just returned. "Are the two of you read for bed?"

Hermione smiled slightly. "Are we that transparent?"

Lily smiled back. "No. Just to me. Harry has the same look on his face my dad does when he really needs to talks something out with my mum. Go!"

The pair glanced at each other, then walked over to the stone lions and up the staircase. They showered seperately, and sat down on the bed to talk. It was almost twelve when the finally slept.

* * *

Tom Riddle gazed out at the crowd in front of him. "Let those who wish to join our ranks of noble Death Eaters step forward!" he shouted, raising his arms.

"Severus Snape! What is your wish?" The wizard known to his followers as Lord Voldemort let a evil smile drift across his face.

The greasy haired boy stepped forward. "I wish to join your ranks. However-"

"Yes?" Lord Voldemort hissed. "Speak boy!"

"I would ask if it could be postponed until the end of my schooling. Professors Dumbledore and Slughorn are considering having me become the new Potions teacher. If I take the Dark Mark they would know. But after I am in their good graces I could be of great use to you, Milord."

Lord Voldemort smiled suddenly. "You are intelligent Severus. You could be of use to me. I have but one thing to ask of you," Tom let his voice drift off.

"Yes, Milord?" asked the boy, nose almost touching the floor.

"Tell me what you can on the new witch at Hogwarts... Miss Hermione Granger I believe. Tell me all you know."

A while after, Tom smiled. "Very good, Severus. I will grant your wish. Until then, you are a Death Eater in name only. You will spy for me, on that fool, Dumbledore. You will have to learn Occulomency. You have the basics, I trust?"

Severus Snape nodded. "Yes, Milord. Hermione Granger herself is teaching me."

"Does she consider the two of you...friends?" The Dark Lord asked, drawing out the ssss. This could be of use to him...

"Yes, Milord. I am quite- fond of her as well. She could make a loyal follower if you could shift her loyalities. She is a witch of immense power. I feel certain she is a pureblood."

Voldemort laughed. "Of course. Build a friendship with her. Report to me any additional information you obtain on her. Send me memories. From what I have heard from my followers, the girl is quite the beauty. It might be beneficial for me to court her after she leaves Hogwarts..."

* * *

**What did you think? Leave me a review and tell me. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was a bit of a filler, but the last part was ment to put some more plot. I left out some of it intentionally, as I have a list of possible one shots that I can do after I finish this story.**

**Speaking of finishing it... uh... I'm getting sidetracked. I am a fan of Hermione with any one other than ron. That bastard doesn't even deserve a capital letter. But I've read some really good Severus/Hermione stories recently, so good that I spent my entire choir and band classes making up a storyline. I really want to write it, but I also want to finish this first. So... Give me some H/Hr inspiration. Can we try to make it to 400 reviews? That would be amazing. **

**Next chapter has some major action. I am looking forward to writing it, but I need some help. I need a Random Guy X. I suck at thinking up names. Any guy names for me? Thanks.**

**Review. No poll this week. Maybe next week. I PROMISE YOU GUYS A CHAPTER NEXT TUESDAY. If you guys have any other ideas for accompany one shots tell me. So far, I've got Harry's convo with Luna, more of _The Time Between _(chapter 10), Snape's convo with Moldie shorts. I prolly have more, just can't think of them now.**

**Toodles! See you Tuesday!**


	19. First Day Back

**Welcome to Chapter 19, on this fine Tuesday morning. Hope you enjoy the results, and try to not kill me for the mini cliffie at the end.**

**This lovely chapter is dedicated to the even lovelier Jazzgirl123 for her amazing 18 reviews. I adore you now. You totally made up for the disapointing 17 reviews chapter 18 got. I reached 400 thanks to you!**

**On with the story. Do not freak out in the first part. It is completely natural...**

* * *

Harry and Hermione woke in each other's arms. The sunlight was streaming in from the many windows and the cool air of the tower made the early rise easier. However, it was still cold, so Hermione used this as an excuse to snuggle closer into Harry's arms.

"How does it feel?" asked Harry, smiling down at her. Even though this wasn't a new sensation, it made him feel exhilarated to wake up in a bed with Hermione. She yawned sleepily and kissed his cheek.

"Great. It is lovely to have our own room. I really have to remember to thank Lily. Again." Hermione laughed. She laid her head against Harry's chest and smiled. "Are you ready to get up?"

Harry groaned, burying his head and her hair. "No. I'm going to have to survive for nine hours without holding your hand or kissing your lips. This plan in completely unacceptable."

Hermione giggled. "Too bad. If we want to keep this room we are going to have to do this for at least a week. Are you going to be able to pretend?"

Harry nodded. "I'll have to. I want to be here with you. And I don't fancy taking my N.E.W.T.s with zero sleep. Or what you'll do to me when you have to do them with no sleep."

"I agree. I like having you alive and breathing. I couldn't promise anything if you force me to take the N.E.W.T.s with no sleep." She stretched, then gasped and looked guiltily at Harry. "Sorry. I'll go shower now," and ran out of the room.

While she showered, Hermione thought about what she had felt against her leg. _He is a boy. A teenage boy. It is completely natural._ Even so, when she left the bathroom so he could shower she blushed.

Harry was also blushing, feeling mortified. "I…uh-"

"It's alright, Harry. I overreacted. I'm sorry."

It reminded them of another time, in another place. They both burst out in laughter. "At least now you won't avoid me for an entire day. Even though it was kind of hard to do in a tent."

Harry kissed Hermione gently before going to take his shower, listening to the sounds of Hermione dressing with a smile on his face. This was what he wanted to listen to every morning.

By the time the two were dressed and ready it was almost eight, leaving them an hour for breakfast before classes started. Harry and Hermione had gone to bed about twenty minutes before the trainful of children arrived. The sounds of a full common room drifted in to them in their small living room, so they moved their talk to the bedroom. However, today, there would be no avoiding the inquisitive masses.

Harry and Hermione stopped outside the door that would let them into the Common Room, and unclasped their hands. "Ready?" asked Hermione. She felt confident that she could pretend to not have any affection outside of friendship for her boyfriend, but she was not sure Harry could do the same. He may have matured, but he was still a little impulsive. Well, she would just try and be oblivious.

"Yeah. You?" Harry still had a euphoric look on his face.

Hermione bumped his shoulder. "Do you remember your cover story?"

"Yes Ma'am," Harry tried to say with a straight face. "You and me were best friends for forever. We went to school together. We are escaping from a madman who wants to kill us. We are both orphans, and we are here because James is my cousin. I had to take care of somethings, so I sent you ahead. We are all the other has left. For now we are just friends. I'm a little overprotective of you. You are oblivious. We are only going to be here until June. Does that cover everything?"

Hermione smiled at him. "Yep. Let's go. I bet you five Galleons that Sirius and James are chewing on the couches by now."

Laughing the two exited the door, to the shock of the collective masses in the Common Room. The groups of kids went quiet as they watched Hermione and Harry walk across the room to where the Marauders were waiting, along with Lily, Dorcas, and Mary. Peter had arrived, he was sitting on the edge of the chair Lily and James were sitting on while James and Sirius exchanged friendly insults.

Hermione felt Harry stiffen beside her, and had to restrain herself from taking his hand. Instead, she put her hand on his arm and rose to her tip toes to whisper in his ear, "Be careful. He hasn't done anything yet."

Harry nodded tersely and smiled tightly at her. She smiled back at him softly, knowing how hard it was to see the traitor sitting there with a hand on James' arm. They approached to group, and Hermione nodded at James, who stood and clapped Harry on the back.

"Cousin! I thought you and Hermione would never come out of your rooms!" This rehearsed speech echoed through the silent Common Room, and the last comment elicted gasps and whispers.

"They are sharing a room?"

"He is hot!"

"He must be a Potter..."

"Do you think he and Granger are a couple?"

"I wonder what year he's in?"

"He has to be Seventh, he looks like he's twenty!"

"He looks like he's James' twin!"

"I'd say older brother."

Playing like they were oblivious to everything, the group headed down to breakfast, joking and laughing. Lily rested a hand on Harry's arm, warning him with her eyes to act 'natural' and joke around with the other boys. They were some of the first ones down to breakfast, sitting at the end of the table.

After they sat down, Peter reached across the table, offering Harry his hand. "Hey, I'm Peter Pettigrew. You're Harry Potter right?"

Harry nodded stiffly and shook the prooffered hand. "Yeah. Do you..."

Peter nodded eagerly. "Yes. Hermione told us about the di-"

Sirius slapped Peter on the back of the head. "Shut up! Do you want everyone to know? Keep you tongue in your," Sirius glanced at Lily, who nodded. "Fucking mouth." Properly chatised, Peter nodded.

"Sorry. I'm just not used to it."

Harry and Hermione both drawled, "Obviously," in the tones of the Amazing Bouncing Ferret. They looked at each other then burst out laughing. Lily caught on quickly and started laughing too, causing James to start chuckling along with Sirius.

In a low tone, she hissed at the two of them, "What did we say about the random laughter?"

That caused the secret couple to drop their smiles. With a whispered apology, they started tucking into breakfast, trying but not fully managing to keep the 'Spooky Breakfast Routine' non-spooky. Slowly the Great Hall filled with students, most of whom gasped and pointed at the newest student.

The whispers and stares prompted Dumbledore to stand and call for attention. "Silence!" When the Hall quieted, he continued. "As you can see, we have a new student. Mr. Harry Potter, if you could be so kind as to rise." Reluctantly, Harry stood up and nodded to the students before he sat down.

"Thank you Mr. Potter. As I was saying, Mr. Potter is a new Gryffindor and I expect you to treat him as such. He is a close friend of Miss Granger, and has much the same story. He and Miss Granger will be here until late June thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Potter, our Head Boy's parents, and Harry Potter's aunt and uncle." Dumbledore sat down, and watched calmly as the Great Hall erupted into noise as gossip was spread around.

Harry and Hermione continued to eat as the owls rained down, not as many as usual as the students had just returned from Break. With a blush, Frank opened a package from his mother.

"I always forget something. Of course, my lovely mother sends it to me the next day with a letter that could put a Howler to shame," he quipped. "Apparently I forgot," he paused as he opened the parcel. "My Transfiguation text. Remind me to write Mother Dearest later." The table laughed and they joked around until it was time for Charms.

As they walked to the class, Hermione was greeted by many other students, from all houses. One Ravenclaw boy even came up to her and slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Hermione, luv, would you like to help me prove some fools wrong?" William Calley was a good looking Seventh Year, who was rumored to have a grudge against James for making the Head Boy position. However, he was tall and blond and smart, the Cedric Diggory of 1978.

Hermione laughed. "What are the fools saying?" In the corner of her eye she could see Harry, and he was visibly trying to control his emotions.

"That you're sharing a bed with James' cousin. I want it from the horse's mouth that you wouldn't do something so..."

"So what, Calley?" Sirius broke into the conversation, eyes chips of grey ice.

"Nothing, Black. I was asking Granger. If you don't mind..." He turned his baby blues on Hermione. "So, pet?"

Hermione glared at him a little. "So what? Harry and I are sharing a room. It has to do with..." she trailed off, and closed her eyes. "What we're running from. It was such a relief to see him, to see him alive. We fell asleep on the couch and ever since then we can't sleep without horrible nightmares if we aren't with each other."

William looked at her in shock. "So you're an item?" He asked, surprised.

Hermione shook her head no, and laughed, feeling her heart break just a little bit. "Me and Harry! No way! We've been best friends for years-" Hermione forced herself to laugh more. "We're just friends. Harry's all the family I've got left."

William relaxed visibly. "Good. Then you won't mind going to Hogsmeade with me then?" Hermione felt her heart leap into her throat.

"No Calley. I have no interest in dating someone I'll never see again after June." Sirius had been watching the interaction with interest, interrupting again.

"The girl says she isn't interested, Calley. And you have History next." Sirius gave Hermione a little bow and she giggled and accepted, letting go of his arm when they reached their group of friends. Harry was clenching and unclenching his fists, and he had a murderous look in his eye. He was drawing attention, and all who were watching were surprised when they saw Hermione put a small hand on his arm and he calmed instantly.

Hermione put her hand on Harry's arm and gave him a stern look. He looked surprised, then gave a weak grin. Hermione grinned back, and he lifted an eyebrow. She shook her head, a disgusted wrinkle to her nose. He chuckled softly and opened the door for her to go into the Charms classroom.

Professor Flitwick was delighted to see Hermione, and was eagerly introduced to Harry. When he saw that Harry was more than able to do most of the Seventh Year charms, he put both of the new Gryffindors to work helping the slower students with the lesson. Charms passed quickly and noisily, the Hufflepuffs in the class that knew Hermione welcoming Harry with open arms. When the rest of the Hufflepuffs saw their fellow 'Puffs with Harry, they quickly made sure everyone knew they all supported him.

The trip to the dungeons for Potions was nervous, with Harry knowing that Hermione normally sat with Snape for the class. He hadn't been present for breakfast, and Harry held the vain hope that he wouldn't be there until he saw the familiar long nose and greasy hair sweep down from the other set of stairs.

Severus visibly started when he saw what he thought was two copies of James; however, when he saw the green eyes, he looked at Hermione questioningly. She grinned at him and ran over the rest of the way.

"Sev!" She said, giving him a huge hug. Snape took it stoically, giving her a warm smile and squeezing her back after glaring at the Gryffindors. "I'm so glad to see you! You weren't at breakfast so I thought I would have to be Harry's partner for Potions today..." Hermione continued to blather, leading Severus by the arm to where the Marauders were standing.

Pulling Harry with her other hand, she led them into the Potions classroom, sitting them at one of the tables that was big enough to fit four, two groups of two. "Sev, this is Harry Potter, James' cousin." When Severus gave her a raised eyebrow, she raised her's back until he held out his hand for Harry to shake.

"For Heaven's sake Harry. Sev doesn't bite. Now shake his hand before I defenestrate you." Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

Harry shook Severus' hand and made a face at Hermione. "There aren't any windows here. And I though you were the brains of the operation."

"Sev, smack Harry for me," she ordered the other boy. With a smirk, he did as she asked, hitting Harry with his Potions text. Hermione laughed, while Harry pouted.

"You take a hit like a girl, Potter," she said between peals of laughter, which set Severus off.

"I am forced to agree with Hermione, Potter," he said, fighting a grin.

Harry just raised his chin, and glared down at the two. "Laugh. I am ignoring you."

Before they could say anything else Slughorn entered the room and made Harry introduce himself again before assigning the Potion for the day. Leaning in close to her, Severus whispered, "He's alright, for a Gryffindor. It looks like he'll be our partner for the day."

"You don't mind?" asked Hermione, hope growing deep within her.

Sev smiled wryly. "No. As long as you don't ask me to get all buddy buddy with his cousin and Black. Or the werewolf."

Hermione smiled and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks, Sev, he is all the family I have left now."

Potions went smoothly, with Harry, Hermione, and Severus all turning in the complicated Draught of Sensibility well before the class was over. Slughorn was very pleased, comparing Harry to Sev and Lily after pronouncing their draughts perfect. He let them leave for lunch early, lecturing the rest of the class about time management.

As soon as they left the dungeons, they all burst into laughter. "That was hilarious! Did you see the look in Lily's face?"

Harry was laughing almost as hard as Hermione. "Yep. Reminds me you how you looked in Sixth when I won the Lucky Potion."

Snape looked at Harry curiously. "So how long have the two of you known each other?"

Harry grinned. "Seven, almost eight, long and danger filled years."

Severus lifted an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not here, not now. But let's put it this way: we were both bullied horribly when we were younger. Then when we got to school, Harry had a few friends but I had none. Then someone was cruel to me for trying to help them with a spell. Harry ended up standing up to a mountain troll for me in the bathroom I had gone in to cry."

This revelation lifted a weight of Sev's shoulders. He had been worried that James' cousin would be just as big a bully as he was. That fear had been tempered by the knowledge that he was Hermione's friend, but it still had not gone away completely. The insight Hermione had given him to both their lives had served it's purpose: it had shown Severus Snape that Hermione and Harry would not tolerate bullies, and if Harry could stand up to a mountain troll for Hermione he would surely stand up to his cousin for her friend.

The three continued up to lunch, chatting a laughing until they reached the Great Hall. Severus had been told that Harry knew about his 'problem' and was surprisingly okay with it.

"Well, he is your friend right?" He stopped, looking at Hermione with an emotion that might have been... adoration?... in his eyes. When Hermione nodded, he smiled. "Then I'm okay with it. After spending two hours with the two of you I can already tell that Harry would never do anything to hurt you." The matter was settled, and the trio arraigned to meet in the Room of Requirement in two days for more improvement in Snape's spying techniques.

Lunch was an interesting affair, with James and Harry doing impressions of one another and various teachers to entertain everyone at the table. However, none of the Seventh Year Gryffindors noticed all the speculating looks heading Harry's way from a number of the girls at the other houses.

* * *

The next day found the Seventh Years in the Gryffindor Common Room after lunch. Defense Against the Dark Arts had been interesting, with Professor Johnson introducing the new unit they would be studying: Dueling.

After this pronouncement, Harry and Hermione looked at each other, and grinned. They knew this would be a piece of cake, and they had been worried that they would be studying something that would not help them at all in this dimension. However, no real 'tricks' they knew would be shown, as they wouldn't want to be noticed. Or did they? It might work in bringing attention on them, or it could backfire spectacularly. Hermione shook her head at Harry's questioning look. They would be unnoticable. Harry nodded his assent, which gave Professor Johnson the opening he had been waiting for since he saw the start of the silent conversation.

"Mr. Potter. No, James, I want your cousin." This caused the class to break out into laughter, making Harry blush a bit, while James enjoyed the moment. When the class calmed down, he continued. "Professor Dumbledore has told us that you and Miss Granger were in a dangerous war situation. From that, I presume you and Miss Granger know at least the basics of dueling?" His tone was condescending, and both Harry and James bristled at the insinuation.

"Sir, Harry and Hermione-" James was cut off by Harry.

"Yes sir. We are both," Harry paused, a gleam in his eye, "proficient, at dueling." Hermione felt like banging her head on her desk, but sighed and nodded to agree with Harry's statement.

"Was there a reason for your inquiry, sir?" she asked, her annoyence obvious in her tone. Professor Johnson started, then nodded, two spots of color growing high on his cheeks.

"Yes, Miss Granger. I was wondering if you and Mr. Potter would demonstrate for us?" Hermione groaned mentally, and shook her head.

"Of course, Professor," said Harry, seemingly perfectly calm. However, Hermione could see the anger burning in his eyes. This was going to be bad. But she trusted Harry not to lose his head and try to vaporize her, so she went to the center of the classroom with him. Professor Johnson moved all the desks with a wave of his wand, allowing the duelists most of the space the room allowed. The other students pressed against the walls to observe, visibly curious about Harry's dueling skills. They had all seen Hermione's intelligence and knowledge of spells, so it would be a fair test of the new boy, allowing the students to place him in their rankings of power.

Hermione bowed to Harry, as he did to her. She knew he would not show off too much, so she would follow his lead. Quickly she dropped into the defensive stance that made her body as small as she could.

The duel that commenced made Hogwarts history. Hermione and Harry both ducked and twisted as spells flew from all directions. Both used a variety of verbal and non-verbal spells, but refrained from using wandless magic or spells that were only used by Aurors or Death Eaters. Spell fire of all colors bounced off the dueling shields Professor Johnson had erected, and the students watched, entranced as the two fighters moved around and dodged and shielded.

Harry was a picture of effortless grace, better than Viktor Krum on a broom. He remained calm, blazing eyes the only sign of his anger. Halfway through the duel he Banished his robe, starting to sweat a little. Half of the girls in the room felt their jaws drop at the sight of a sweaty Harry Potter in a white shirt and black pants. He was like a dancer, moving around Hermione's spells with seconds to spare, returning her many curses and jinxes with his own, watching carefully as Hermione slowly weakened. The observant watchers could tell he was holding himself back, and most of them admired him for it.

Hermione on her part was deadly, wand moving in a flash of light and wood, hair bound into a tight bun that was now letting small curls drift down the sides of her face and the back of her neck. She was tiring faster than Harry, Banishing her robe before he did. It was obvious her side was beginning to hurt her, and when the spell fire slowed and her dodges became more and more langourus, the observers began to worry. She was just as much a sight as Harry was, her white shirt sticking to her body and skirt flaring when ever she spun out of range of a hex. Eventually Harry found an opening and Disarmed her, catching her wand with a Seeker's precision.

As soon as the last spell fizzled out of existance on the shield, Harry raced to Hermione.

"Mione!" She leaned heavily on a desk, panting and holding her side. "You okay?" He was mentally yelling at himself for tiring her out and letting his anger get ahold of him. Would he ever learn to control his emotions?

She glared at him. "Harry Potter, you prat. If you had listened to me-"

Harry hung his head. "Mione, I'm sorry. Do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?"

She shook her head. "Nah, not now. I'll take care of it quickly, then we can get on with class."

The class was buzzing about the duel, sentiments varying from "That was bloody cool!" to "Are we going to learn how to do _that_?" However the exclamations stopped when Hermione tried to get up and had to sit down quickly. Her face had gone from flushed to pale, and through her shirt the people closest to her could see the enflamed red wound that was paining her.

At Harry's questioning glance she blushed. "It's the knife wound. It's acting up again and I over extended." In a lower voice, she added, "And when did you get so bloody strong?"

James and Lily caught the last part and looked around to see who else did. Apparently, it was only two Slytherin boys who had heard her whispered query. Harry, who had a worried look on his face, quickly walked over to Professor Johnson.

"May I have a pass to go to the Hospital Wing, sir?" Professor Johnson looked over at Hermione and nodded.

"Yes. Make sure she knows not to make the mistake of over estimating her boundaries again." The git still managed to sound pompous and idiotic after his tremendous loss of face. He knew he had been shown up in his own class, and he also knew that the entire school would know about it by breakfast the next morning. It seemed like he would not want to return next year. Maybe he could go with his cousin on a tour of the world. Yes... that would do. He would owl Lockhart as soon as he finished for the day.

Instead of replying to the ridiculous statement, Harry instead went over to Hermione and picked her up over her objections. The class watched almost in silence as Hermione was carried to the Hospital Wing by a Potter for the second time that school year. As soon as the door shut, they erupted into chatter.

When Hermione had finally been released, the group of Seventh Years were in the Common Room, relaxing. Harry and Hermione joined the conversation gratefully, Hermione making sure Remus was the one to sit on the arm of her chair, not Harry. She also made sure to play her part well, sending glances at both Sirius and Remus and smacking them lightly when they made her the but of a joke. To an outsider, it looked like she was flirting with the two boys who were flirting back. The Common Room was filled with the laughter of the girls and everything was good until Hermione heard a small cough and a simper.

"Well, if it isn't Amanda Skeeter," she whispered under her breath, glaring at the airheaded girl.

* * *

**Try not to hate me for the Cliffie. Poll that is up now deals with Skeeter. I love torturing that character...**

**Anyway, do you guys think you could review me up to... say... 430? That is only 20 reviews, which you have surpassed before. I mean, if you can do 34 then you can do 20. I love you all and wish you a happy Tuesday. If you hear the word veggie burger snap, and call someone a chidniffin. **

**Have a great week, and thank you for reading. Tune in next Tuesday for chapter twenty! **


	20. Trying

**WOW! Talk about deadlines. I worked my pretty little arse off to get this chapter to you guys by Tuesday morning. You all better thank whatever god you pray to for Spring Break. I promise to write over Spring Break if you promise to review.**

**Dedication goes to dirtylaudry022 for his/her lovely review. Thanks so much. Hope the paper was good. Poll is over, with the winner being Harry vaporizes Amanda. Sorry, but that would take too much of the fun out of this story. This and one other is probably going to be the last 'happy' chapters. Look to some angst!**

**Thanks to all who reviewed, for getting me to 335 reviews by chapter 20. I really apprecate all of you. You are helping me win a bet with my friend, by proving that people out there do like H/Hr stories. I will get that cookie... Anyway, thanks again. Can we try for 360 this chapter?**

* * *

Amanda just smiled, exposing her spell brightened teeth. Hermione deeply regretted casting the countercurse for the pimples on her. It had been Dumbledore who had appealed to her nice side, begging her to allow the younger girl a Christmas free of blemishes. Now the girl had her slightly orange skin back, not free of pimples but free of the word 'Gossip' spelled out in them. Pity.

It seemed like the rest of the group was ignoring her, so Amanda cleared her throat again. "Excuse me!" she snapped, causing all ten heads to glare at her.

James looked at her annoyed. "You're excused. Now scat and be a good little fifth year." This caused most of the group to laugh, and had the bonus effect of making Amanda turn a slightly darker shade of orange around her face.

"Do not insult me! I just wanted to validate some rumors. No need to be rude!" She put her hands on her hips and leaned forward a bit to give Harry a good view of her breasts. She gazed at him in what she obviously thought to be a seductive way, and raised an over plucked eyebrow. "Harry here was just going to tell me what he is doing hanging around with that slut," she said with a wave of her hand toward Hermione, "and why he isn't making out with me," she finished, pushing her chest out.

This declaration caused several gasps in the group, and Harry's eyes almost bugged out of his head, echoing James. Dorcas, Alice, and Mary gasped and Lily turned bright red and was about to start shouting at Amanda, and Remus and Sirius would have gladly joined her. However, Hermione held up one hand, and turned to face Amanda. Her face was devoid of all emotion, of all color. Her eyes were pools of icy black water, and when Harry inadvertently met them he shivered. Hermione was angry.

She slowly turned to face Amanda. "Please remove yourself from my presence. You do not deserve to even lick the filth of my boots, let alone Harry's. You will leave now, and you will not bother us again if you know what is good for you." She turned her back to the girl, clearly done with the conversation.

However, Amanda was not as bright as Harry and the others had hoped. "I will not! I want to know why you and my Harry and sharing a bed! I want-"

Harry broke in with a cold glare at the girl. "You want. You want. Skeeter, you sound like a toddler. I am not a pedophile. I am not, and will never be yours. The only girl who can say that she has ever owned me, is the one you just called a slut. Sorry, but I cannot accept that. Any girl who does not like and is not friends with Hermione will never have a chance with me. I can tell you every girl I have ever dated who has not had the approval of Hermione was gone within a week. Or a day. I trust and have trusted Hermione with my life on multiple occasions. She has given me the extreme honor of doing the same. Until Hermione tells me the two of you are best friends, I will never spare you another glance."

Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes, but pushed them down, feeling overwhelmed with love for Harry. Instead of snogging him senseless, Hermione gave Amanda a disinterested glance.

"Damaged, dyed, blonde hair. Orange spray tan. Unusual body odor. Harry, I can safely say that I would never be willing to be seen in public with a girl like Amanda Skeeter." Harry laughed and slung an arm around Hermione's shoulder in a friendly way.

"If she isn't good enough for you, poppet, then she isn't good enough for me." That was all he had to say. The Gryffindors, who had been watching the interaction with bated breath, burst into laughter.

Harry and Hermione seperated and sat down, going back to their conversation from before they had been interupted, feeling the eyes of the Common Room on their backs and ignoring them. As soon as Amanda left to lick her wounds, the group erupted into sound.

James looked at Hermione with wide eyes. "Wow. And I though you were scary before."

Hermione and Harry laughed, causing Lily to roll her eyes at what was obviously a private joke. "Okay guys. Tell us what made you laugh so hard."

Harry smiled while Hermione blushed. "Well, our friend has always been a little scared of Hermione. He always said, 'Hermione is brilliant. Scary, but brilliant."

This caused a few chuckles in the group before Dorcas asked what all the other girls were wondering. "You've really dumped girls because Hermione didn't like them?"

Harry nodded. "Yep. Not that I've dated that many girls."

"Explain?" Remus was curious. He had seen the amount of influence Hermione had on Harry, and vice versa. But dumping a girlfriend of boyfriend?

Harry thought a moment. "Well, there was one girl, whose name was Cho. Hermione want me to meet her, so I ditched the date. Then there was Luna, and we had one date, and she had the Hermione stamp of approval. And then another girl named Ginny, and we broke up really recently because-" Harry broke his voice off, remembering there were members of the 'audience' who didn't know about him and Hermione. He blushed then stammered, sending a shy look toward Hermione. "Uh, nothing. No reason."

The girls gave each other knowing looks. It was more than obvious that Harry had a crush on Hermione. The others noticed the looks and grinned the themselves. This would make it easier to put their plan into action when Harry and Hermione 'started dating' in seven days.

* * *

Later, after Harry and Hermione had retired to their rooms, they were sitting on the small couch reading together.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "What wand were you using in class?" She had only given half her attention to the book, the other half going over the duel in class.

Harry looked confused. "The Elder Wand. Why?" He too started to go over the duel from the morning.

Hermione sat right up, and Harry would have sworn he could hear her brain working. "That is why! I haven't been beaten in a duel so fast since we started training."

Harry smiled at her. "Of course, love. No one could beat you in a duel without help." Hermione laughed, smacking him lightly on the arm.

"Stop! Of course I can lose to someone. But I've never tired so fast from spells," Hermione mused. "I only got hit with that one Disarmer, and it felt like twenty horses kicked me in the ribs."

Harry pulled out the Elder Wand, showing Hermione. "I have to use this one now. You remember..." Harry let his voice trail off. He knew the subject of the failed visit to Godric's Hollow was a sore point for Hermione, who still felt guilty about snapping his wand while rescuing them.

But Hermione just shook it off. "Harry! This is the most powerful wand in the world! You could probably heal your wand! Don't tell me you haven't thought of it?"

Harry shook his head. "I thought of it. But I didn't think it was possible. They snap wands for a reason, you know."

Hermione refused to be put off. "Let's try it! If it doesn't work, then you can keep on using the Elder Wand."

Harry nodded, getting excited in spite of himself, opening the moleskin pouch to retrieve the pieces of his holly wand, and setting them on the table. "Okay. _Repario!_"

Golden sparks ran across the wood, knitting it and the feather back together. It took a few moments, but when the last of the golden sparks disappeared, the holly wand lay on the table looking as it always had: slightly scuffed and worn, but well loved.

Slowly, and with a trembling hand, Harry reached out to grasp his wand. As the warmth ran up his arm, he grinned. "Thanks, 'Mione."

Hermione smiled gently. "Thought so." Harry didn't respond to her teasing, bending down and kissing the top of her head, and then her lips.

It was late by the time they went to bed, Harry still grinning with joy over the repair of his old wand.

* * *

Despite all their best efforts, the school was in an uproar. Harry was quickly named the most eligible Seventh Year bachelor and was the focus of many a girl's affections. Hermione had been in the spotlight before, but this was a new experience. The Gryffindors in the Common Room had spread the contents of Harry's little speech around, and now girls of all ages were trying to become her best friend. Even some second years had taken to following her around and doing everything possible to win her approval. One girl even gave her chocolates with a Friendship potion inside them, leading Hermione to suspect that this girl was somehow related to Romilda Vane.

It was bad enough to have Amanda Skeeter glaring at her in the corridors and at mealtimes, but the constant simpering and sucking up from the other girls in Hogwarts was horrible. Hermione was at her wit's end, fed up with all the little butt kissers. Harry was also fed up with the girls who kept trying to prove to him they were Hermione's best friend, and therefore datable. One memorable incident took place in the Great Hall, with Harry reducing the poor girl to tears.

"You can't be Hermione's best friend! I'm her best friend!" he exclaimed, then looked around guiltily for Hermione. But she was no where to be found, so he continued. "No one here has known her for more that a few months, and only those who-"

"Yes, dearest?" Hermione asked, coming up behind him to tap him on the shoulder.

"Uh... Nothing, love!" Harry said, looking down at the floor, ashamed, while the rest of the Gryffindors laughed. Harry and Hermione called each other by pet names, especially when Harry was in trouble with Hermione. The rest of the school looked on it with fond eyes, giving it over to the perks of being best friends for years. The reigning King of Gryffindor was still James, with his Queen, Lily, but the roles of Prince and Princess were given to Harry and Hermione respectively. The only low point was how extremely attractive this made them.

In that respect, Hermione had the better end of the stick. Several boys were far too intimidated by Harry to consider asking her out to Hogsmeade, and to intimidated by her wits to ask her to a place like Madam Pudifoot's. However, she still had some persistent suitors, namely William Calley and a Seventh Year Hufflepuff named Jonathan Tery. Harry was caught glaring at them by Hermione several times, making him lose the bet they had set up to control their feelings.

After the second day, Harry and Hermione had been ready to give up on the whole idea of pretending to not be dating. Then Sirius had proposed they make a bet. If Harry caught Hermione glaring openly or showing any sign of loving him outside the realm of friendship, the he would win. If she caught him glaring at William or Jonathan, or acting like her boyfriend, then she would win. They would tally the points, and whoever had the least would win a back rub or foot rub from the loser. Hermione and Harry had eagerly agreed, and the bet was on.

Hermione had won for both of the days that had been competeing, and now, on the close of the fifth day, she was very close to losing. The bet was called as soon as dinner was over, and so far, Harry was winning. By the time dinner was over, Harry had been able to control his emotions well enough to not gain any more 'points' and Hermione had glared at another girl, putting her in last.

"Fine. You win." Hermione could not bring herself to be too grumpy. It was Harry's turn to win after all... But he gave the best foot massages. It wasn't really fair.

Harry laughed and pumped his fist. "Finally! 'Mione, I thank you for your bad mood today. For it has meant victory for me!"

The rest of the group laughed, and followed Harry and Hermione to their small sitting room to study. It had been a long five days, but it didn't mean the N.E.W.T.'s were any farther away.

Even so, Harry and Hermione seemed distracted, glancing at the clock to often to be perceived as normal. Severus would be appearing in front of the Dark Lord in only a few minutes. He was armed with 'information' about Hermione and Harry.

The three of them had developed an interesting camaraderie, a lot like the 'Golden Trio' except with a higher IQ. The evenings spent in the Room of Requirment were full of witty banter and teasing along with Occulomency and dueling. Severus had taken to Harry surprisingly well, considering the amount of torture he had gone through at the hands of James Potter. But it seemed a younger Severus Snape was more willing to put aside blood relations and accept the 'cousin' of his enemy. He and Harry had bonded over their childhoods, spending an hour in the Room of Requirment together one day when Hermione had been tutoring and had run late. Harry started telling Severus about his childhood at the hands of his abusive aunt, and Snape had responded with a few whispered secrets of his own.

The only problem was Harry and Hermione's secret relationship. Although not obvious to any one who didn't know him, Severus Snape was falling in love with Hermione Granger. But Hermione knew him, and Harry was starting to get to know him. And they could see the poor boy falling deeper and deeper for Hermione.

Everything about her seemed to attract him. Her intelligence, her beauty, her kindness. But Severus could see that harry also liked Hermione, as more than a friend. However, Severus just ignored it, and Harry and Hermione agonized over telling him about their relationship.

But nothing could be done, except to tell him first. Hermione was not willing to risk the building friendship between him and Harry, or even the pre-existing friendship between her and Sev. It would be cruel to let him find out with the rest of the school, through the rumor mill. It would also be cruel to tell him, and then inform him that he couldn't tell anyone because then the woman he loved and the man she loved wouldn't be able to share a room.

It was a difficult situation, one that neither Hermione nor Harry could have forseen. Lily sympathized with them.

"I remember when James and I started dating earlier in the year. I didn't tell him, and he found out from Reggie Black. He was so mad at me I thought we would never talk again." Lily had explained. "And we never would have talked again if hadn't been for you, Hermione."

It was dilemma, and one that would have to be resolved soon. Harry and Hermione planned to let their relationship become known in only three days. Telling Severus would have to be timed carefully, and considerately.

The clock struck eight, and Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Severus would be Apparating to the Death Eater fortress now.

* * *

"Ssseveruss. Rissse, my boy." The sibilant hisses in his name caused Severus to shiver. The Dark Lord was growing more snake like every day, and his appearance and speech only made his followers even more fearful.

"What information do you have for me?" The red eyes stared down from a face that had once been handsome, but was Tom Riddle no longer. White, and losing its proper shape, the self proclaimed Lord Voldemort was beginning to lose his humanity.

Severus rose from his bow, and said in a low voice, "The Granger girl. She has a friend who is know at Hogwarts. They are sleeping in the same room, but reassure others they do not have a romantic relationship. I am getting to know them my Lord. They do not know about you yet, but they are considering some of your ideals. However, the friend is the cousin of the Potter brat. He is from a light family, but that does not mean he cannot he turned. He is immensely powerful, and duels extremely well. He would be an asset to our fight."

Tom Riddle smiled. "Good work, my boy. Do you have any more information for your Lord and Masster?" he asked, in the same cold voice, causing another ripple of fear to run through his Death Eaters.

Severus nodded. "Yes, my Lord. Hermione Granger is also an extremely strong duelist. She would have won against Harry Potter, had it not been for her wound. She was severely injured in the fall, before coming to Hogwarts. It is only known to her friends that she is angry with Dumbledore for not giving her more help. I know for a fact both she and Potter's cousin have strong feelings of dislike for Dumbledore. They avoid his presence as much as they can and do not seem to respect him. It is a boon to our side that they are so... angry with the self proclaimed 'Leader of the Light.' Dumbledore is as interested in them as we are, but he has little chance of success."

The Dark Lord smiled, a streching of the lips that disfigured his face. "Excellent. I reward you for your good news, Sssseverussss."

A teenaged muggle girl was brought forward, and the rest of the Dark Lord's followers stepped back to form a circle around her.

"You may cast the firssst ssspell, Ssseverusssss," hissed the Dark Lord.

The girl screamed.

* * *

The next day was cold and gloomy, but was thankfully a Saturday. The Marauders kidnapped Harry halfway through the day, leaving Hermione, Lily, Alice, Dorcas, and Mary to roam the castle together.

"So... Hermione. Tell us about Harry." The girls had returned to the Girl's Dorm, that seemed strangely empty without Hermione. They all sat on the floor, Dorcas putting a large bowl of Honeyduke's chocolate candies in the center. It was Mary who asked the question, secretly wondering if she even had a chance with Harry.

Harry had been especially nice to the girls, acting just a charming as James with much more modesty. It was a winning combination, resulting in many more swooning girls. James was jealous, he really was.

Hermione looked up from the chocolate bar she was nibbling. "What?"

Dorcas rolled her eyes. "Pay attention Hermione. It's like the boys took half your mind with them. Now tell us more about Harry."

Hermione blushed a bit. "Sorry. What do you want to know?"

Mary answered right away. She had been waiting for this chance since she had seen the two exit their room together on Monday morning. "Are you and Harry a couple?"

Hermione thought a bit, blushing some more. "Not quite yet. We have been best friends for years. It is kind of hard to go from best friends to dating in a few days, you know. But I definitely like him, and I am 60% sure he likes me too. So we are going kind of slow, at least for now. We have flirted a bit of course, but we have yet to make it official. Or kiss." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "That a good enough answer for you?"

Mary and Dorcas were a little disappointed, but kept a smile on their faces for Hermione. Dorcas asked the next question. "How did you guys really meet? There are some rumors going around that he did something outrageous, like rescue you from a troll. Then some other people are saying that a there was a monster that paralyzed you and he ran it through with a sword."

Hermione laughed. "Where did you get that information?" she asked, wondering if Harry had told some one and forgot to tell her.

Dorcas shrugged. "Peter. He seemed rather impressed with Harry." Hermione cursed the little rat in her head. The only reason she did not curse him aloud was because of Dorcas. Peter had a little crush on Dorcas, and she would do her best to bring it to fruitation. Maybe having a girl at home would stop him from turning dark...

Hermione nodded. "Ah. Peter."

Alice leaned in. "So? Is it true. We are having girl talk here Hermione. Give us something to work with."

Hermione sighed. "Yes. It's true, or at least partially. You see, we met when we were eleven. But we didn't become friends until he rescued me from a troll. Then in our second year he killed a balisik with a sword. The giant thing Petrified me. Then Harry went down into the bowels of the school to kill it. With a sword. Damn beast was almost seventy feet long."

The girls, exculding Lily, gaped. "No way!" exclaimed Dorcas. "How old was he?"

Hermione smiled. "Twelve."

"When he battled the troll?" asked Mary. "No way."

Hermione shook her head. "Nope. When he killed the snake. He was eleven when he battled the troll."

The rest of the girl night went really well. They quizzed Lily and Alice about there boyfriends, and Dorcas and Mary about their love interests. It was not a new experience for Hermione, but it was a welcome one. She was planning something, and was relieved to have a chance to let those concerns fall off her shoulders. She would restart her planning for the Horcurxes when Girl's Night was over.

* * *

"Okay guys. Where are we? Are we in a tower?" Harry was getting annoyed, really fast. First the Marauders had taken him away from his 'Mione. Then they took him to their dorm, and put a blindfold over his head. And then he was taken into the corridor, and spun until he was dizzy. Finally, he was taken at a run through the halls and secret passage ways of the castle, forced to climb stairs, and was at last deposited in a chair, at what felt like the top of a stuffy old tower.

It was James who answered, and Harry could hear the smirk in his voice. "Harry, Harry, Harry. If I told you where we were, I would have to kill you. Have you not learned that by now?"

"I knew Hermione and I shouldn't have given you those James Bond books," Harry grumbled. "I knew it would go straight to your head." Damn Hermione and her books. According to her and Lily, it would take James months to snap out of his 'super spy' phase.

"My own son! Harry, you wound me." James replied.

Harry heard a _thwack!_from the direction James was in, and a soft squeak from Peter. Apparently, Remus had smacked the back of James' head, in a move that was scarily reminiscent of Lily.

"Marauders! We need to focus! We have to interview Harry. Then we have to choose a name and complete the ritual. We need to concentrate!" said Remus, ever the voice of reason. "Now, I will begin the questioning."

Harry felt a presence in front of him, and tensed, even though he knew it was Remus. He hated this blindfold...

"Okay, Harry," Remus said soothingly. "We just have to ask you to answer a few questions. First, do you have an Animagus form?"

* * *

**How do you like the cliffie? I was not planning to end it there, but I need help with Harry's Animagus form and Marauder name. Any suggestions? If not, check my poll at my homepage. I will be adding good ones to it. The ones up there now are the ones I thought up all by my self. Aren't you proud?**

**Review, check out my poll, flip a rude person the bird. Have a good week and see you next Tuesday.**


	21. New Marauder

**Here you go! Not so bright and early on a Tuesday morning, because I don't have to wake up at six until next Monday. Ah, Spring Break...**

**Anyway, this is for you guys to enjoy and praise. No flames please. Chapter is dedicated to... powerkitty. I loved you awesomely long review, and would have loved to have both Harry and Hermione as dragon animagi. However, J K Rowling said that Animagi are never magical creatures. So I made Harry a panther. I used ladywatertiger's suggestion of a name, as you will see. Thank you to every one who reviewed and gave me some awesome names. Poll went to a Falcon named Talon. I'm sorry, but the ones I got in reviews were much better than the ones I came up with.**

**WARNING: The beginning of the chapter is really light and happy. HOWEVER the last part will get a little bit darker and the next chapter will get progressively darker. I blame this on my playlist. My writing reflects three things: my grades, my moods, and my music. If I make a B, my chapter will be depressed and angry. Thankfully, I only make A's in school. (To Mrs. B= I swear, I was ready to strangle you when you told me my bio grade. 99.3 is the worst grade an IB student can get. You couldn't have given me .2 more points? It was your fault Harry and Hermione fought in past chapters.) My moods are more subjective, and if you listened to my playlist for the second half of the chapter I will be willing to bet you'll cry. (Save Him by Justin Nozuka)**

**Hope you enjoy and can forgive for the rambling AN. Chocolate is a wonderful substance...**

* * *

Warily, Harry nodded. "Yeah. It is a panther with green eyes, and my scar. Can the blindfold come off now?" He hated not being able to see anything...

The blindfold was taken off, and Harry blinked rapidly as Remus smiled. "Great! Then we don't need to teach you. If we release you from the chair, will you show us quickly?"

Harry nodded again, rubbing his arms to get his circulation back. "Stand back. I'm a bit larger than your average dog." Sirius snorted a laugh, but stepped back. His laugh was cut off when he saw the beast in front of him.

"Bloody hell!" Where the man had been standing was a large black cat. Slinky and graceful, the green eyes with the slitted pupils glowed with intelligence not present in normal animals. In the middle of the cat's forehead, was a lightening shaped scar. The feline'smouth opened wide in a yawn, exposing vicious white fangs.

"Wicked!" James exclaimed. "Go ahead and turn back Harry. Now we need to think of a good name for him."

The four boys made a tight circle. They could each suggest one name.

"Sliteye."

"Scarface."

"Sliverclaw."

"Whiskers."

The last one was from Peter, and the other three boys looked at him in disbelief. "Whiskers? Seriously Wormy?" asked Remus, smacking Sirius at the same time. That boy never knew when jokes about his name got old...

Peter shrugged. "Yeah. He's a cat, he's got whiskers."

James shook his head. "No way. I like Sliverclaw or Sliteye. Then the nickname for his nickname could be Claw or Eye."

Sirius nodded. "Can I add a replacement for Wormtail's choice?"

James agreed, while Peter pouted. "Go ahead Pads."

"Shadowfang," he said, smiling proudly. "You know, because he is pretty much a moving shadow. And when he opens his mouth, the only thing you can see out of the black is his fangs."

Remus mock glared at him. "You couldn't have said that earlier? I mean, 'Scarface' is only marginally better than 'Whiskers.'"

Sirius shrugged with a slight grin. "True genius takes time."

Remus snorted. "I bet you can't even spell 'genius.'"

Sirius smirked. "G. E. N. I. O. U. S. Take that Moony!"

Trying to hold back his laughter, James gasped, "Enough. Which is it, Sliteye, Sliverclaw, or Shadowfang?"

Peter stood up straighter. "The vote of Mr. Wormtail goes to Shadowfang."

Remus was next. "Mr. Moony's vote goes to Sliverclaw."

"The vote of Mr. Padfoot goes to Shadowfang."

James grinned. "Sorry Moony. The vote of Mr. Prongs goes to Shadowfang."

Harry's dissatisfied grumble broke into their circle. "Now what?"

James slung an arm around his 'cousin's' shoulders. "Now my son, you are inducted into the most secret and exclusive club in the world. Welcome, to the hideout of the Marauders. Stand there, in the middle of the circle."

Looking around him, Harry found he was right about them being in an old abandoned tower. It was spacious, and the view was great. The edges of the room were filled with bookcases, and there was a small table that was obviously used for eating, and, very occasionally, homework. The cleared wooden floor was bare of any rugs or carpets, and was marked in white chalk in the shape of a circle.

The Marauders took their places at smaller circles chalked over the larger one.

James was at the Northern point of the circle. Considering this, Harry found it made perfect sense. James was the subtle leader of the group. The other boys looked up to him, hell, Peter nearly wet his pants very time James smiled at him. He had a personality that was crisp and bright, like the North wind. His love of flying made the element of wind particularly apt, and the 'windswept' hairstyle was just a coincidence.

Sirius was the South. He had a fiery temper, and was the heat and passion to James' calmness and cool. He was always in motion, eyes snapping. He was the dog who loved to curl up next to the fire, who was the happy second in command. He was possiblythe strongest of the four boys, defying his family to do what was right, instead of what was easy. He was languid and warm one moment, and passionate and burning the next.

Peter was the West. His element was water, and it fit the small boy almost exactly. Flighty and willing to 'go with the flow,' Peter was a human stream. Forgetfulness and fear made his opposition element fire, which was creepily echoed in 'real life,' as Sirius was the only one of the boys who really only put up with Peter, getting annoyed with the boy quickly. Peter was predictable, following the path of others laid before him, moving around instead of confronting the obstacles in his path.

Remus was East. The exotic nature of the East was reflected into his eyes, the mysterious secret that drove girls wild. His direction brought gentle breezes with the faint smell of honeysuckle and wild lavender, the earthy smell of wet dirt. The element, earth, was Remus. He was the one that guided Peter, accepted Sirius, and was moved by James. He was the solid, firm ground, the support, the voice of reason that would stop them from going to far.

Harry was pulled from his thoughts by the flash of light, reflected of the large knife James was holding.

"I am the North. I am the Wind. I call you, North, and you, Wind, into our sacred circle. I ask you to bring calmness and alertness, into our circle," James chanted, cutting the air with the knife, symbolic motions allowing the Northern Wind to enter the circle. Harry felt the wind ruffling his hair, and when he took a deep breath he thought he could smell clean, cold, mountain air. He took another breath, savoring the scent of snow and icicles. James passed the knife to Peter, who took a deep breath to steady himself.

"I am the West. I am the Water. I call you, West, and you, Water, into our sacred circle. I ask you to bring healing and friendship into our circle." Peter did not falter in his movements, allowing the Western Water to enter the circle. Harry could feel the cool water all over his body, feel the small, slippery fish as they touched his skin. Peter gave a sigh of relief, and passed the knife to Sirius.

"I am the South. I am the Fire. I call you, South, and you, Fire, into our sacred circle. I ask you to bring passion and love into our circle." Sirius' cocky knife thrusts were correct, if overconfident. The Southern Fire entered the circle, and Harry could hear the flames crackling, could feel the heat drying out the skin on his face. Sirius passed the knife to Remus.

"I am the East. I am the Earth. I call you, East, and you, Earth, into our sacred circle. I ask you to bring strength and understanding into our circle." Remus' clear, calm, voice washed over Harry, reassuring him. He took a deep breath and smile as the comforting smells of wild lavender and damp earth filled his nose as his back of his neck tingled with a warm, gentle, breeze. The knife made it's way back to James, who took it from Remus with a smile.

"Harry James Potter. Are you willing to become my brother?" James asked, eyes sincere.

Harry nodded, the ceremonial words coming to him. "I accept James Harry Potter as my brother."

James grinned. "I accept Harry James Potter as my brother." Harry stepped forward, offering his palm. James took the knife, and in a swift movement cut both his hand and Harry's, pressing them together. "With this blood, I do bind you to me and me to you. With this blood, you become my brother, in flesh, spirit, and heart."

Harry repeated the words, feeling the magic course through him. "With this blood, I do bind you to me and me to you. With this blood, you become my brother, in flesh, spirit, and heart."

James grinned again, and Harry knew he had an identical grin on his own face.

"So mote it be," they intoned together.

Peter was next, then Sirius, and Remus. Each time Harry felt the swell of love and acceptance as his magic and the magic of the others mingled and joined.

The boys passed the knife around again, going from Remus to James, in reverse, releasing the directions and elements from the circle. As soon as James was done, he led Harry over to a basin of water.

Lifting a seashell, found in water, rubbed with earth, hardened by fire, cooled by wind, James scooped some of the water up. "Put your head over the basin, Harry," he said quickly.

Harry complied, and James poured the water over his head. "I baptize thee Shadowfang, panther, and brother to Mr. Padfoot, Mr. Prongs, Mr. Wormtail, and Mr. Moony."

Sirius handed Harry a cloth to dry his hair. "Well, Fang, welcome to the club."

Harry grinned. "So now I'm a Marauder?" he asked.

James nodded, clapping Harry on the back. "Yep. You are officially the fifth Marauder."

Harry could not stop smiling, thinking how surreal it was. Here he was, in some random tower, Marauder and brother to four other men. He laughed, and the rest of the boys just stared.

James sighed. "Did Hermione just think something funny?" he asked.

"Huh?" Peter didn't get it, looking at Remus laughing with confused eyes.

"Harry and Hermione have this freaky connection. They say they can't hear what the other is thinking, but we are not so sure. They burst into random laughter, and none of us know why."

"Oh." Peter was a little put out by this information. He had seriously (pun not intended) considered asking Hermione out to the Valentine's Day Hogsmeade, but that hope was dashed. At least he'd get to see her alone at tutoring.

The rest of the time in the Marauder's hideout was spent giving Harry a rundown of the rules (only Marauder names can be used in the secret hideout, no one can know about the secret hideout, every fifth meeting it would be his turn to bring snacks, spread rumors about Moony's sick mother, only refer to Moony's lycanthrophy as his 'furry little problem' in public, ect..)

It was nearing time for dinner to start when the boys left the secret hideout.

* * *

Hermione laughed at something Dorcas said, then went pale. The other girls stopped laughing, looking at Hermione with concerned eyes.

"Hermione?" asked Lily. "Hermione, are you okay?"

The smaller girl tried to take a breath to answer the girl's question, then doubled up again, cursing in fluent sailor. She had hoped she could have waited until after dinner to go see Madam Pomfrey. It seemed that she had waited too long now.

"Lily?" Hermione gasped. "I need to get to the Hospital Wing, _now!_"

Hermione had been wearing a white shirt under her robes, and when she made to move them, one side was stained red.

"Damn," she cursed. "It's worse than I thought." Her wound had been acting up lately, and had been much more painful after the duel with Harry. That and she should have known by now not to wear white. She always bleed on her white clothes... Hermione knew enough about her condition by now to know that she was starting to slip in and out of consciousness.

Lily lifted her want to take Hermione to the Hospital Wing, but Hermione held up her hand. "No! The magic will irritate it. Someone find Harry." Madam Pomfrey had been especially strict with Hermione on the proper care of her wound. Neither of them would forget the day when Madam Pomfrey used magic to move her after it had already started bleeding. Hermione had been in the Hospital Wing for two days...

Lily blushed. "He's busy now. The boys took him so they could make him a Marauder."

Hermione cursed again. "I guess I'll have to walk. I will need some help though."

The girls gathered around her, supporting Hermione as they left the abandoned classroom. The classroom was three floors away from the Hospital Wing. Not even halfway there, Hermione fainted.

"Hermione! Hermione!" Lily sent a spout of water from her wand on to Hermione's face, slapping the girl lightly. None of the other Gryffindor girls would be strong enough to carry Hermione to the Hospital Wing.

"Damn," she muttered. "We need to find a te-"

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!" A shout rang out in the thankfully empty hallway where Hermione lay, bleeding on the floor. William Calley was running toward the slight girl lying in a bloody shirt.

"Will-"

Lily was cut off by the dismissive shake of the boy's head and his quick query, "What happened?"

Lily sighed. "She got hurt a while ago. It's been getting bad since her duel with Harry, and now it needs medical attention from Madam Pomfrey."

William nodded, and scooped Hermione up, correctly assuming she could not walk. However, he froze when Hermione let out a keening moan of pain. "How bad is it? Why haven't-"

"We used magic? Because Madam Pomfrey has it classified as a Class 5 - sub 9," answered Dorcas, who was going into mediwizardry. "It's bad right now, not the worst, but bad. If we don't get her to the Hospital Wing now she will get there."

At a brisk run, William set off for the Hospital Wing, shocking the girls.

"I knew he liked her, but... wow," said Alice. "What do you think Harry will say?"

Lily grimaced. "He will freak. Then he will get really calm. And then he will erupt."

Mary gave a humorless grin. "That over protective?"

Lily returned the sarcasm. "Yep. We better head over to the Hospital Wing."

However, by the time the girls arrived at the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey had already closed down the back half of the room, and they could hear pained gasps and anguished moans. William was leaning on the side of the door, glaring. He was obviously upset that he had not been allowed into the portioned off area with Hermione.

"How is she?"

William turned his glare to Lily. "She'll be fine. Pomfrey's working on her."

Dorcas put her hands on her hips. "William Arthur Calley. You will speak in a respectful tone when you talk to any lady, or by the Word of the Lord I will tell my mama that you were sneaking around Greenhouse Number Three with Elizabeth Flint."

All the girls looked at Dorcas with thankful grins. Dorcas' mother was a wizarding nanny for the pureblood elite. She had cared for several young pureblood lordlings, and all were terrified of her. Dorcas could look and sound identical to her mother on occasion, and when she used that tone of voice she could get a number of their classmates to obey her without question.

William fought the urge to duck his head with a 'yes ma'am.' Instead he just blushed a bit a scowled. "You wouldn't."

Dorcas grinned, ferally. "Would I?"

William sighed. "I guess you would, Dorcas Meadows. You tell your lovely mother that I send my kindest regards. Hermione is going to be a while. Madam Pomfrey refused to let me behind the curtain."

Alice shook her head. "You might be as stupid as Dorcas' mum makes you out to be. To clean that wound Madam Pomfrey is going to make Hermione take off her shirt. Do you really think Hermione is going to want you in there?"

William blushed again, much deeper this time. "I didn't think of that."

Dorcas just laughed. "Of course you didn't. And I thought you were smart William."

The slightly happy mood that had been developing was brutally murdered by the short and pain filled scream that echoed through the Hospital Wing. Dorcas winced, along with Alice and Mary. Lily started tearing up, wondering exactly how much pain her friend was in. William cursed, looking like he was ready to put his fist up against the stone of the Hospital Wing.

Madam Pomfrey stepped out from behind the curtain. "The lass will be alright. She will probably miss classes Monday though. The lot of you can visit after dinner. Off you go!"

With more shooing from Madam Pomfrey, the group set off toward the Great Hall. Splitting when they entered, William headed toward his table while the girls walked to the Gryffindor table, to where the Marauders were sitting.

When they neared, the boys were laughing and joking together, James and Harry sporting identical grins. However, Harry's eyes scanned the girls, face darkening.

"Where's Hermione?" he asked, rising quickly.

Alice glared at him. "In the Hospital Wing, no thanks to you. Where were you?"

Harry didn't stay to answer the question, instead setting off at a run to the Hospital Wing.

* * *

When William entered the Hospital Wing after an inhaled dinner, he was surprised at the sight in front of him. Madam Pomfrey and an unknown figure were behind the curtain again, with a candle scone illuminating their stilluettes. Hermione was thrashing in pain, and Madam Pomfrey was shouting directions to the other figure, who William quickly deduced was Harry Potter.

"Potter! Hold the girl down while I cast the spell. As soon as I'm done casting, pour the potion on the wound and hold it together while I cast the other spell!"

The white-blue glow of the cleansing spell spilled out from the edge of the curtain. William could see Hermione attempt to arch up suddenly, only to be gently held down by Harry, who was murmuring to her. William could barely make out some of the words he was saying.

"Love ... 'Mione ... all I need ... Hold on ... Just a ... baby ... I love ... It's okay, 'Mione ..."

William was growing more confused by the second. What the bloody hell was happening?

The soft chanting coming from Madam Pomfrey ceased, and Hermione let out a high pitched scream when Harry poured the potion on her side. Madam Pomfrey started chanting again, and the light returned, green this time. When she stopped, a soft and tired voice came from the bed Hermione was resting on.

"Harry?"

"I'm here, love."

"I love you."

"Love you to 'Mione."

Now William was even more confused. The girl let Harry Potter call her 'Mione, but no one else? Less than a week after she arrived, James Potter and Sirius Black went around to every student, warning them that if they called her by that nickname they would deserve the hexing they got from her, and the cursing they would get from the Marauders.

William was fed up with waiting. He pushed aside the curtain, his demand for answers dieing on his tongue.

The girl on the bed was indeed without a shirt, only wearing a cream colored bra. William had to swallow quickly at the bile that rose in his throat, seeing not only the angry red line that was her wound but also her extremely visible ribs. Discolorations that could have been bruises were around her wrist on one side, and her concave stomach and chest were marred by what looked like an old scar.

At the sound the the curtain being pulled back, both Harry's and Madam Pomfrey's heads had snapped to the the intruder. Harry's eyes narrowed as he followed William's gaze, pulling the blanket up to Hermione's chin.

Madam Pomfrey was in no condition to kick William out, exhausted from the spells. Shortly after the Seventh Years had left for dinner, the girl had started twitching and jerking until she had broken into a seizure. It had taken numerous potions and spells to stop the girl from seizing. But nothing could help the wound that had reopened.

Madam Pomfreywas extremely worried about the wound Hermione had received from the cursed knife. It would do fine for a week or so, then deterioratete rapidly. It had taken all her considerable knowledge and skills to keep the wound from festering and rotting the poor girl from the inside out. If it were not for the damned dimensional travel business, then the wound would have been healed weeks ago. But the laws of magic maintained that the body could not change, and so Madam Pomfrey was stuck.

Even if she was stuck, she still noticed that young William Calley had stepped into the blocked off portion of the Hospital Wing. Magical exhaustion aside, she still needed to deal with the rule breaker... but it seemed that Harry Potter had gotten there first.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I brought her here! Where the hell were you?"

"I-"

"And what the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm helping her! Why were you staring at her chest?"

"Why do you care? And why did you say you loved her?"

"I care because she's my girlfriend! And I said I loved her because I do! Why were you the one to bring her?"

"Because I was the only one around! Where were you?"

Harry seemed at a loss for an answer, then a thought came to him. "How did you get her here? You didn't use magic, did you?"

William scoffed. "I'm not stupid. I carried her. What else?"

Harry barely resisted the urge to throw himself at the blond Ravenclaw and rip his throat out. "I have permission to be here. You do not. Get out now."

William glared at Harry. "And what if I don't want to, Potter?"

Harry went very still, and his eyes went cold. "Believe me, Calley. You want to."

With that expression on Potter's face, William privately agreed with Potter. He did not want to spend another minute in the same room with this man who wanted his nuts on a silver platter. How was he supposed to know that Hermione was his girlfriend? She had told him Monday that they were not dating!

William gave Harry a sneer worthy of a Malfoy. "I'll leave now. But I don't believe you are her boyfriend, Potter. She told me that you were just friends."

Harry gave a short laugh. "I know. We planned it. Now get out before I remove your nuts by force and put them on a silver platter for staring at my girl's chest."

William gave a snort. "Sure, Potter. When Hermione tells me to my face I'll believe it." With that, he turned and left the Hospital Wing. He sincerely hoped that Harry and Hermione were not a couple. God! If that were true, he would have just made the biggest mistake in his young life.

* * *

**What did you think? It was really a pity, as I rather like William. You will have to forgive me for that part with Dorcas. I've been reading _Beautiful Creatures_ and my mind is stuck in Gatlin. I love books about the 'Deep South' since I am a damn Yankee, as my Carolina cousins say. So imagine Dorcas talking with a Southern accent in this chapter. I know they are all from England/Scotland/Ireland but I couldn't help myself.**

**Next chapter gets depressing. Be warned.**

**Review! Please help me get to 500! It sometimes drives me nuts to think that over 2000 people read this a day and I only get 20 reviews per chapter. **

**Poll: not really important to the story, but important to me. I want to know what kind of audience I'm catering to. Remember that I cannot see who votes, or what they vote for. I only see: 26 voters. That is all. If you feel uncomfortable telling me your gender, then don't. I promise I cannot trace who votes and what they vote for. If you don't believe me, set up a poll.**

**Review, vote, pray for Japan and Hawaii to what ever God/Goddess/Multiple Deities/Cosmic Spirit you pray to.**


	22. Visits to the Hospital Wing

**Volia! 5.2 thousand words of H/Hr fanfiction, hot off the press! (er... computer.) I am so sorry I did not update on Tuesday. For some reason FF decided to ruin my day and not allow me to add any chapters to any of my stories. I was so mad by the time I got to school my friends teased me about my fanfiction adiction. Enjoy this (very late) jam-packed chapter and review (I want 520. Siriusly. You guys owe me for not making it to 500. I was grumpy.)!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I have some ideas on improvement for the books. They need to come together in Harmony. Pun intended.**

**Chapter is dedicated to Paladeus, who is probably the King of Lunar Harmony. When I saw his review, I literally went, WOW! My little story is being read by one of the Gods of H/Hr(/L) Fanfiction! I have a list of FF authors that would send me to the ER with a heart attack if they left me a review. I refer to them as the Gods of H/Hr fanfiction. (old crow, chem prof, robst, ect...) These people are authors with amazing stories and huge fan bases. **

**Poll went to teenaged girls. Interesting...**

**Enjoy the chapter! And no, nothing is missing. The part that is nothing but dialouge is an excersise for your deductive reasoning. (And an act of desperation when I tried to save and it erased everything I had added to the chapter.)**

* * *

Hermione woke up the next day, convinced that the shouting she had heard the day before was nothing but a strange, but rather believable dream. Harry was sitting next to her, holding her hand. He was sitting in a comfy chair, hair in complete disarray. He looked years younger in his sleep, Hermione thought. It brought back memories of the days before Pettigrew had escaped, before their world had come down around their ears. Good things can never last...

Hermione let out a yawn. "Are you awake, Harry?"

Harry bolted to attention. "Hermione! You're awake!"

She smiled weakly. "Yep. And I feel like I've been run over by a bus."

Madam Pomfrey appeared, smiling brightly at the sight of Hermione's open eyes. "Not a bus, but good guess. More like staying away from the Hospital Wing too long and straining yourself. It's thanks to Mr. Potter here that you are up and talking today." Hermione winced at the disapproval in the matron's voice. But when she thought about the day before she could only find one real discrepancy.

Hermione's brow furrowed. "How did I get here? I don't remember anything after passing out in the corridor."

Harry looked more like a petulant child than Hermione could remember him looking since Third Year. "Calley. He brought you in then thought it gave him a right to ogle your chest."

Hermione glared at him. "You didn't."

Harry had the sense to look ashamed. "I did."

Hermione looked like she was ready to shout. "I thought it was a dream!" But there had been something in the back of her mind that told her it wasn't.

Harry shrugged. "Was it really that unbelievable?" He sounded much less repentant than he actually was. To be truthful, he was feeling kind of guilty...

Hermione sighed. "No. But you have to go and apologize. _Now,_ Potter!" Although she was angry at him, she still allowed him to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before pointing at the curtain.

Almost running out of the partitioned off area Hermione was in, Harry nodded. "Yes ma'am. Right away ma'am."

Madam Pomfrey glanced at Hermione. "You don't think you were a little harsh?"

Hermione shook her head, sleep gaining on her once more. "Nah. He needs to see that Calley is a good guy now while he is feeling guilty, or he will hold a grudge against him for the rest of his life. No one needs Harry Potter having a grudge against them." Most of those people were dead, but she didn't tell Madam Pomfrey that. No need to scare the woman.

Harry walked down to the Great Hall, hands stuffed in his pockets. He knew that Hermione was right, and that he was too. When William had shown up the night before, Harry had been worried, angry at himself, and angry at Hermione. It always hurts to see the one you love in pain, and Harry Potter had a very trying Saturday. It had scared him much more than he would admit to see Hermione lying prone in a Hospital bed. And before that, when Madam Pomfrey was trying to hold her down while she convulsed, was even scarier.

Shaking his head to rid it of frightening thoughts, Harry checked his watch quickly to see if lunch was still going in the Great Hall. It was, so he pushed open the door and walked in, so used to the way conversation ceased in his wake that he did not even notice it anymore. As much as Harry hoped William would not be there, he still walked over to the Ravenclaw table where the popular boy was eating with his friends.

When he reached their end of the table, all the talking at the Ravenclaw table stopped. What did the new-boy cousin of the Gryffindor Prince have to say to the Ravenclaw Golden Boy?

"Calley. May I have a word?" Harry almost winced at how gruff his tone sounded, and how similar it was to Mad-Eye Moody's. When Calley made no move to get up, Harry sighed. "A private word?"

With a quick glance around the table, William nodded and stood. "Where to, Potter?"

As the two boys left the Great Hall, the gossiping and chattering of the girls and the ogling and bragging of the men resumed.

The two boys, men really, walked for a while before stopping at a secluded corridor not far from the Hospital Wing. Harry stopped, facing the man who wanted to be the object of Hermione's affections so badly.

"Calley," he began, and stopped.

"Potter."

"I'm sorry." They both said at the same time, then looked down as their cheeks colored.

Harry went first, by unspoken agreement. "I'm sorry. I had no right to yell at you like that, or get mad at you for staring at Hermione's chest. You did not know that we were going out, and I am rather protective of her. Rest assured that last night's scene will never again be repeated."

William dragged a nervous had through his hair. "Me too, mate. You don't need to be at her side every minute. It was dumb luck that I was in the right place at the right time. But I also had no right to stare either. But again, I didn't know the two of you were going out."

Harry could feel his cheeks flushing a bit. "It was a fairly recent development, considering she says she's been in love with me since Halloween in our first year."

William looked at him suspiciously. "I heard rumors going around that in your first year, you rescued her from a troll on Halloween night."

Harry nodded. "That's pretty much it."

William whistled, impressed. "Wow. You're going to make all us boys look bad. I would not like to be on your bad side."

Harry cracked a very humorless grin. "That very nearly happened. You're lucky Hermione made me go look for you." But his expression softened and he smiled again. "Mates?" Harry offered, holding out his hand.

William grinned, just as ruefully, taking the pro-offered hand. "Mates."

But as the two continued the journey to the Hospital Wing, both turned serious. Wiliam was the first to speak.

"Is she getting worse?" There was concern in his baby blues, and the tall boy was obviously fearing a positive answer.

Harry stopped, a pained look in his eye. "Yes. It used to be that she could go for two weeks without visiting the Hospital Wing. Soon it's going to be every two days, then every other day. Before N. E. W. T. S. it will be up to once or twice a day."

William cursed lightly. "Bloody hell. What the fuck happened to her?" It was not often that the Ravenclaw Golden Boy cursed, but when he did his friends knew that whatever was the cause, it was deeply upsetting the fair-haired boy.

Harry winced. "She was captured and tortured for a while, so there is Crutatius exposure. And then there is the wound that won't heal from a cursed knife. The worst part is that it was all my fault, of course." He ran a hand through his hair again, then winced and tried to smooth it down. They were almost at the Hospital Wing.

William startled visibly. "You're not saying-"

Harry blanched. "No! A Dark witch and wizard were the ones who did everything to her. But she wouldn't have been in the situation if I had listened to her. This isn't going to become school gossip, alright?"

William nodded, new respect for both Hermione and Harry in his eyes. "Of course. It doesn't go farther than me." Bloody Hell! Torture and a cursed knife... The new kids had some pretty nasty luck.

The two boys resumed their walk, both lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the Hospital Wing, they ducked beneath the curtain, ignoring the curious second year Hufflepuff with smoke coming out her ears. Both knew that the kid would be listening and the whole school would know the sordid details of the two rivals for Hermione Granger's affections were visiting her together.

Harry wondered idlely what the rumors would be. _Calley and Potter decided to share. Potter is going out with Calley. Calley is in love with Hermione. Hermione is in love with Calley. _The only good thing Harry could see was that the incident wouldn't be in the papers. _I love the seventies..._

Hermione was lying on her back, hands resting under the blanket. Her chest barely moved with each breath, and she was perfectly still. In the harsh light of the Hospital Wing, she looked like a corpse. Harry couldn't decide between Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty. He almost mentioned it to Calley, but remembered the boy's heritage at the last second. Instead he focused on the woman in front of him, lying on the white bed.

Harry took a deep breath, taking in the scents of strong cleaning spells and fresh linens. He crossed to the side of her bed, where a comfy cushioned chair was waiting. With a complicated flick of his wand, Harry made a similar one for William.

"There," he whispered, taking one of Hermione's cold hands in his own. "You can stay if you want. But she will probably be out-"

"For the count? You wish, Potter." The weak voice came from the bed, and Hermione's lips curled up in a faint smile. She opened her eyes, and truely smiled when she saw Harry sitting next to her. She squeezed his hand, bring it to his lips, and whispering something William couldn't hear when Harry bent down to give her a kiss. When she turned her head, she saw William.

"Did the two of you kiss and make up?" she asked, teasing in a playful tone that seemed out of place in the stark Hospital Wing.

William startled, not knowing how to answer, but Harry smiled. "Yes darling. I'm afraid you have William beat in the kissing department. He must need lessons."

Hermione let out a soft laugh. "Of course Professor Potter. I'll get right on it."

Harry let out a soft growl. "Like bloody hell you will. I'm the only one who gets to kiss you." William was bright red by now, and with his golden hair he looked much like he did when the Marauders had thrown their famous prank.

Hermione yawned, and tried to stretch, then winced when she moved her side. "I may have to take you up on that. Do you see Madam Pomfrey anywhere?"

Just then the matronly witch waltzed in with an armful of potions. If she was surprised at the two men in the same room, she said nothing. Instead, she asked Harry to support her back while she fed the girl the medicine.

William was surprised at how comfortable Hermione was with Harry. Over the next half hour, he watched them interact. They joked and touched, and kissed at bit, yes. But what surprised him the most was the way Hermione seemed to melt into Harry's touch. Or the way his eyes gazed at her so adoringly. Or how familiar they were with each other. Hermione didn't even notice when Harry picked up a lock of her curly hair and started playing with it. Or how she picked up his hand and played with his fingers, stroking them and bringing them to her lips while talking, not shy at all. How they would give little smiles or laughs at the same time, even though he didn't say anything funny.

After the third time this happened, William flung his hands up in the air. "Aarrugh! What is so funny about the name Norbert? Or Fluffy?"

They shared a secret smile again, then Harry replied with a perfectly serious expression. "Nothing. Those are unusual names, though."

However, all good time must come to an end. The half hour passed quickly, and Madam Pomfrey kicked William out. She had intended to kick Harry out as well, but one look from the boy stopped her in her tracks. It was not for her to deprive the poor dears of the only comfort they could recieve from each other.

Later in the day, Mary, Alice, and Dorcas came to visit, towing along Frank. Hermione gave herself to conversation for around ten minutes before drfiting back off to sleep.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, a habit he had tried so hard to stop in sixth year but resumed the moment he had met his parents. "I'm-"

Mary put a hand on his arm. "Don't worry about her, Harry. Madam Pomfrey can fix anything."

Harry gave a weak grin, hoping that would suffice. He knew that Madam Pomfrey was good, but not everything could be fixed...

The Marauders came after dinner, the usually jovial group seemingly downcast. James and Sirius for once had solomn expressions. Remus looked worried and Peter was just uncomfortable.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" he asked, concern in his voice.

Hermione smiled up at Peter, and replied, "Yes. I'll be fine. But Madam Pomfrey is making me spend another day in the Hospital Wing just in case. So that means Remus needs to take notes for me."

Remus cracked a lopsided grin. "Yes Ma'am." The tension in the room was relieved as everyone laughed, but returned when Hermione stopped laughing and turned white, hands flying to her side.

"Damn," she whimpered. "Madam Pomfrey was right. No making me laugh until Tuesday," she ordered the group. Harry put a comforting hand over hers, putting his arm around Hermione and whispering something in her ear.

Sirius watched as Hermione's cheeks flushed with color, and her eyes began to sparkle again. He was amazed as Hermione turned heated eyes on to Harry's own green orbs.

"Promise?"

Harry grinned. "Promise."

Hermione's face lit up with a huge smile. "I am so holding you to that, Potter."

Harry leered at her. "Hold me where ever you want-" he got out before bursting into laughter.

Hermione glared at him, trying her hardest not to laugh. "Harry! What did I say?"

Harry adopted a sorrowful expression. "Not to make you laugh?"

Hermione settled back on her bed. "That's damn right, Potter."

Sirius shot a speculative glance toward Harry. "How the hell did you do that?"

Harry looked confused. "What?"

"Make her forget about her pain, turn bright red, and banter with you. You need to teach me your tricks with the ladies, Fang." Sirius was speaking in a low voice, but Hermione still caught most of it.

"Fang? Harry what-"

James interrupted. "Harry was officially made a Marauder yesterday. His Marauder name is Shadowfang."

Hermione gave a snort. "Shadowfang?"

Sirius nodded proudly. "Yep. I named him."

Hermione turned her head to look at Harry. "You showed them your Animagus form, but not me?" she pouted.

Harry nodded. "Yep. I'll show you later, though. I swear."

Hermione did not seem placated with this answer, but she decided to use it to her advantage. "So what happened?"

All the boys looked at each other, then at her, then at each other again. All had guilty expressions on their faces.

"So?" Hermione huffed. "I'm in the Hospital Wing, with strict orders not to read until Tuesday. I need something to keep me entertained."

"We need to huddle," was the only explanation James gave.

A few minutes later they returned from their 'huddle,' and James made her hold up her right hand to swear that she would never tell another living soul about what she was about to hear.

"Okay, I swear. Now tell me why you took Harry all morning yesterday."

Remus gave an evil smile. "So we took Harry, put a blindfold on him, and spun him around until he looked like he was going to spew. Then we took him to our secret hideout, and put him in a chair."

"Not bloody fun, that was. I am never going on a-"

"Shut up, Fang. Let Moony tell the story."

"Thank you Padfoot. So we asked him if he had a form and what it was. Then we had him transform for us."

"Into a..." Hermione let her voice trail off.

"Panther. Then-"

"Ha! I told you I would find out what you were Harry!" Harry had told her about the Animagus training, but had refused to tell her what his form was.

"Anyway, we decided on a name. I preferred Sliverclaw, but these meladramatic fools liked Shadowfang better." Remus went on to explain the circle, and the acceptance of the blood brothers.

"Wait," said Hermione quickly. "Why the Third Rite of the Elements and Cardinal Directions? Wouldn't the Eighth Ritual of the Elements and Planitary Deities have been better? Or even the Fourth Rite of the Elements and the Seasons?"

Remus shook his head. "Nope. We would have used the Eighth Ritual if Harry had been a Localitary Animagus. Because he was a Foreginatary Animagus we needed the Directions to assimilate him."

Hermione nodded. "But then couldn't you have used the Seventh Ritual of the Cardinal Directions and Seasons? Or just the Fourth Rite of the Directions?"

Remus shook his head again. "We could have used the Seventh Ritual, but that would have required fresh picked flowers, snow, fall leaves, and leaf buds, on a full moon. Non-magically freshened flowers are necessary, and bloody expensive in January. Not to mention I wouldn't be there on the full moon. So I choose the Third Rite of the Elements and Cardinal Directions for economic and magical reasons."

Hermione nodded. "Sorry. I forgot about the full moon part. And the shell?"

Remus grinned. "A supremely lucky find. One of my cousins found it in America."

The rest of the group had adopted confused expressions that had gotten more and more comical. Sirius had to put a stop to it.

"What are you guys talking about? You mean the ritual you made us do wasn't just random?"

Remus and Hermione snorted. "It was rite, not a ritual, you idiot. If you were in Arithmancy or Ancient Runes you would know that. And no, it was not random. Remember back in first year when did the blood brotherhood bonding?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. You purified the knife a special way, before cutting our hands."

"Yeah. Because of the magical energies and the runes on the knife, if we had to accept another blood brother we had to identify him as welcome in the circle. The Third Rite was making sure there were no impure intentions, in Harry toward us, or in us toward Harry."

Harry looked fast at Hermione, and she gave him a secret smile that told him, _Now he cannot betray you or your parents. You are his blood brother._

"So it was all necessary?" asked James.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Yes! Why are you asking this now, if you thought it wasn't necessary?"

James and Sirius blushed a bit. "We thought you wanted to do it because it sounded cool."

Hermione and Remus both rolled their eyes at that one. "No, Prongs. I am not-"

"End the lecture there, please Moony! I'll get it from Hermione later, and I don't really need it twice!" Harry begged.

Hermione looked at him, and shook her head. "I wasn't really going to lecture you later, but if you insist-"

"No dear, that's fine. I'll just take the one from Moony," Harry shot out. Hermione's lectures were horrible...

The laughter from around Hermione's bed drew Madam Pomfrey out from her office. "Out! Out! Miss Granger is not allowed to laugh! Get out, all of you!"

This time, even Harry's patented puppy dog eyes didn't melt Madam Pomfrey's heart. She kicked him out with the Marauders, who began the slow walk up to the Gryffindor Common Room.

The Common Room seemed to bright and happy for the downcast Marauders. The Christmas decorations were still up, and the children were either desperately doing homework before Monday or joking around in the last day of weekend. The other Seventh Years were together, all talking quietly in their spot by the boys' dorms.

Instead of going to sit with their friends, the five Marauders trooped up the staircase with nary a wave to their chatting friends. When they had all run up the staircase, they settled on Peter's bed. Peter knew by now not to protest. He would rather they sit on his bed then he sit on one of theirs.

"So."

"So."

"We need a prank."

"Indeed we do."

"To cheer up Miss Granger?"

"Of course, Prongs!"

"What shall we do then, Padfoot?"

"Why don't we ask Moony?"

"Moony says we ask Shadowfang."

"So, Fang. What would cheer up Miss Granger?"

"My face."

"Very funny. Now really-"

"No, Moony! Fang is right! Hermione loves his face! And my face!"

"And no girl can resist my looks."

"Shut up, Padfoot. So we decorate the Great Hall with our faces, or we make everyone look like us?"

"Decorate. I don't want Hermione to kiss another guy thinking he's me."

"Good thinking, Fang. What else could we do?"

"We could do fireworks to introduce the new Marauder."

"Great idea, Wormtail! We can show the school that Shadowfang is now a Marauder, and have all our faces up there too!"

"We could decorate the Great Hall with our faces then use the fireworks to write the words."

"That would work. But we will definitely get detention if we have our faces up everywhere."

"Who cares? I mean, the worst Minnie can do is make you scrub bedpans in the Hospital Wing."

"And then we get to see the delightful Miss Granger."

"Shit."

"What?"

"The 'delightful Miss Granger' is going to murder me."

"Sucks for you, Fang!"

"Shut up! Like Lily isn't going to be mad!"

"Oh. Shit!"

"Ah, Prongs, Fang. You see, single guys really do have all the fun."

"Be quiet, Padfoot. You know you would love to have a girl as hot as Lily and as smart as Hermione."

"Are you suggesting my girlfriend isn't smart?"

"Or mine isn't hot?"

"Prongs, Fang. Let me explain for poor Wormy. You see, he said that Lily was the hot girlfriend and Hermione was the smart girlfriend. Both girls are pretty, but Lily is hot-"

"I'm gonna-"

"Gerof me!"

"Prongs! All of us, including Fang, have listened to you muse on Lily's hotness and read your horrible poems about said hotness. Do not get pissy because we say Lily is hot."

"Thanks, Moony. As I was saying, Lily has a hot body and beautiful features, you know, the hair, the eyes, the mouth. But Hermione's a stick. She's too sick to be a sex object. You want to protect her, not make out with her."

"Speak for yourself, Padfoot."

"Whatever, Fang. Anyway, Lily is smart. But Hermione is brilliant. Lily and Remus have brains, and know how to use them. Hermione on the other hand, is a genius. She thinks so fast, you wonder if she has an encyclopedia for a brain. Or eight brains instead of one. She takes smart to a whole new level. She quite possibly has never forgotten anything she has ever read."

"Right you are Padfoot. It has scared me and others many times in the past."

"See! I'm sure that was what Wormtail meant."

"Uh... Yes! That was what I meant."

"Of course. I am a genius at figuring out what people mean!"

"Sure Padfoot. How do you spell 'genius' again?"

"G - E - N - I - O - U - S. Are you sore I don't need to get you a dictionary, Moony?"

"I'm very sure. Okay, so fireworks and faces?"

"Yep."

"Sounds good."

"Fine with me."

"Alright. But if I return castrated, I will hunt you down and-"

"Okay! Who will do what?"

"Fang, Prongs. Do you think you can get the house elves in on the plan?"

"Should be no problem. The little guys love me."

"If we tell them it's for Hermione they should help us."

"Good, that takes care of decoration. The fireworks?"

"Wormy and I can position and spell them. You want to work on the wording Moony?"

"I'd better. I don't want the entire school laughing at you horrible spelling."

"Piss off! That's what you use a Self-Correcting quill for! And you're the one that needs a dictionary!"

"Yeah. Fang, you and I will trigger the fireworks?"

"Sure."

"Prongs, you'll give the signal to the house elves?"

"Yeperdoodles."

"What?"

"Yeper-"

"Nevermind. I don't wanna know."

"Wormtail, you and Padfoot make sure every one is at breakfast Tuesday?"

"Shouldn't be too hard."

"No prob."

"And Fang, you can get Hermione down to breakfast?"

"Of course he can! He's the only one who can get that girl to eat!"

"Sounds good. Meeting of the Marauders is over!"

The boys got up off the now messy bed. Peter sighed, then started to remake it. Why was it always him? Oh yeah. They didn't want to sit on a messy bed. But sleeping in one, now that was fine, wasn't it?

"Where are you going?"

Harry stopped halfway out the door. "To get my cloak to visit Hermione."

James grinned. "Use mine."

Harry looked confused for a second, then caught on with a identical grin. "Thanks. See you tomorrow morning!"

It only took him eight minutes to get to the Hospital Wing under the cloak, but it took him sometime to get past the door without Madam Pomfrey noticing. How on earth did Hermione always do this when he was in the Hospital Wing? But he did get in, and past the curtain.

"Hermione," he whispered, taking off the cloak.

The girl almost jumped out of her skin. "Harry!"

"The one and only." Harry quipped, taking out his wand to make another chair.

"Silly goose. Get in," she offered, holding up the side of her bed covers.

Harry smiled gently. "Are you sure?"

Hermione nodded. "How else am I supposed to get a good night's sleep? I'm tired even though I slept all day."

Harry smirked, and climbed into the bed. "Thank you, darling."

"You are very welcome, dearest." The two moved around a bit to get comfortable, ending up with Hermione on her back, with her head resting on Harry's chest and shoulder.

"G'night."

"G'night."

"Hermione? Are you still awake?" Harry mentally winced as soon as the question slipped out. He could be so dense... But he at least had an emotional range of at least a tablespoon.

Harry could hear the chuckle in her voice. "Yes."

"Can you explain what you and Remus were talking about earlier?" He, Sirius, James, and Peter had been out of their depth when Hermione and Remus had been debating the benefits of one rite or ritual over another.

"What part?" Damn. She was going to make him elaborate.

"The part about me being a Foreginatary Animagus." He thought he had gotten the word right. Why did wizards have use such weird words?

"Harry. Please tell me you read all the books before attempting the transformation." Harry winced, this time for real. He had known when he had started the Animagus training that he should have been better prepared.

"We were under a bit of a time constraint. I read my father's notes, what I remembered from sixth year, and some of what Remus told me."

"Dear Lord. It is a wonder you are still alive." Hermione wasn't angry. His testicles would survive...

"I wouldn't be without you." Maybe sweetness would melt the heart of ice?

"I know. Me either." Yes!

"Yeah. But about the..." Appeal to her intellect...

"Okay. So there are two types of Animagus, Localitary and Foreginatary. Big words, simple meanings. A Localitary Animagus is one whose form is one common to the region where they were conceived. So it is possible for a kid who was born nine months after the honeymoon and has lived in London his entire life to have a tropical bird as his Animagus. It is where you were conceived, not where you were born. A Foreginatary Animagus is one whose form is one that is not from the same continent where they were conceived, born, and raised. It can be from anywhere in the world. For example, you. Have you ever been to a jungle in South America?"

"No." Between the Dursleys and Voldie Shorts he had never been out of the country.

"Do you know what your parents did for their honeymoon?" Yes. They never left the hotel room.

"They went to a small bed and breakfast for a week. But I was born when my mum was twenty one."

"Then you are definitely a Foreginatary Animagus. Your form was not from the same continent you were conceived in. That is all that means." Hermione was done with her explanation, and sounded sleepy.

"Are they rare?" One last question. Then he could go to sleep with the woman he loved in his arms.

"Not really. It is a 2:1 ratio, in favor of Localitary. So they are just slightly less common." Another yawn from Hermione signaled to Harry that it was bedtime.

"Thanks. G'night."

"Your welcome. Night."

The two snuggled together, and fell asleep quickly.

* * *

**What did you think? Good, bad, ugly? Leave me a review. Sorry again for the late chapter. Curse FF, not this poor author.**

**Question and answer time! If there was a question not answered in this chapter, just ask. **

**Q: Why do all these guys have crushes on Hermione? I mean, can't they see that she is perfect for Harry, and Harry alone?**

**A: Because she is the main character! And because she is really very pretty. And because she is new. I mean, in canon, how many times does a new student come to Hogwarts? These boys are drooling over the shiny new toy. Another reason is that she hangs out with popular people and has two of these popular people after her. That means the sheep the wizarding world are made out of want her too. That, and she has a great personality. She is helping all these Slytherins that have been told all their lives that they are stupid and worthless see that they are actually capable of doing spells and learning. And she is mysterious. She looked sad all the time, and she has a misty past. These guys want to get through all the mystery and find the real girl in there. Then shag her and brag about it, as teenaged boys are wont to do.**

**Q: What is going on with Hermione's knife wound?**

**A: With the rules I made up for dimensional travel, Hermione has to stay the way she was when she left her dimension. Madam Pomfrey can partialy heal the wound for a week or two. Now that time window has closed to only a few days or so. Because the knife was cursed, the wound is very painful.**

**Q: How do I vote?**

**A: Go to the top of the page, and click on my name (ausland). That will take you to my homepage. At the very top, you can click on the blue question. There you can vote. You must have an account to do this. **

**There you are. No we are not meeting Luna's parents (for now.). That is the only other question I can think of that was not answered in this chapter. In another few chapters I'll do another Q&A session. **

**Adios, amigas/amigos. See you next, next Tuesday (first Tuesday in April. I am so swamped with HW, I have not written 23. So sorry.) Vive le mardi! (Anyone know how to say 'See you next Tuesday'**** in a random language?)**

**Review, vote, cross your eyes at a baby (They will ether giggle or cry. It is really very funny either way. Unless your the kid's mum.).**

**ausland**


	23. The Prank

**Happy Tuesday! Hope you like this lovely chapter. It is a bit of a filler, but it has some developments that will be important. More notes below. **

**Poll when to a summary, not chapters worth, or few lines. The people have spoken. Look to chapter 24.**

**Chapter is dedicated to Musia888. This chapter is for you. And I know the feeling of running to one's laptop to read another chapter. I both love and hate the feeling.**

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By the time Hermione was out of the Hospital Wing, the Marauders had finalized their plan for their prank. By Moony's suggestion, they had decided to postpone the prank until Thursday, giving them enough time to bribe the house elves into tainting the food of over half the Great Hall with a suspicious, acid green powder. (James had invented this one. Oh, the things you can do with some rat tails and spleen of moose. And some crup fur. The first fifty two explosions had not discouraged him in the least.)

"Are you sure Hermione is going to like this prank, Fang?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "No. She is just as likely to fawn and coo over it as she is to join the Quidditch team. But who knows? Maybe she won't rip our balls off."

James winced. "Same goes for Lily. Remember how mad Hermione was when we used that Hair and Skin Color Changing Potion with the setting to red and gold? She slapped you so hard I though your head was gonna come off Sirius."

Sirius raised a fond hand to his cheek. "Yeah. Wasn't that fun. I never want to see that girl really angry."

Harry snickered. "You guys remember Lucius Malfoy?"

Remus nodded. "Yep. Was here for our first year. Pompous git, he was. Spent all his time attached at the mouth and crotch with Phillipa Willikson, then married Narcissa Black. Phillipa vanished for her last year, and then came up preggers and married to Marcus Parkinson."

Harry's grinned widened. "He has a son who will be in my year. Even more of a pompous git than his father. Well, Hermione smacked little Draco Malfoy in third year. Left a mark, too."

The boys almost erupted into laughter, but were hushed by Remus.

"C'mon! We have about ten minutes before the early birds will come in for brekkie. We need to finish getting the spells in place."

Hermione had gotten out of the Hospital Wing the day before, and was very pleased to be out. Even if most of the classes were a review, Hermione Granger hated to miss class. It had been torture when she was forced to stay in the Hospital Wing after her Polyjuice accident. The expression of relief on her face was very funny to the Marauders, and to Harry in particular. He had gone into fond reminiscences about the time she had been freed from petrification, and he had seen that same look on her face, only to have it vanish when she learned she wouldn't be taking the exams. Looking back, that was around the time he should have noticed she was a girl. But he had gone and pushed it to the back of his mind and didn't really think about it 'till the summer before third year. Pity.

At least now everyone knew that he and Hermione were an established couple. No more boys were making any moves on her and no girls were making cow eyes at him. It was a win-win situation, and both were taking advantage of it. Most people were claiming that they saw it all along, even if they had only known Harry for about a week before the big news got out. The Board of Governers had not even tried to get them to leave the room. They had trust in Dumbledore to make sure nothing inappropriate would happen, and nothing did happen as far as the board was concerned.

As soon as they finished getting the fireworks in place, Harry dashed off to his room to see if Hermione and woken up yet. She was still extremely sleepy from whatever Madam Pomfrey gave her, which meant she didn't wake up until breakfast was half over. But for her to truely appreciate the prank, she needed to be at breakfast halfway through.

"Hermione? 'Mione darling, I have a surprise for you!" Harry called out in a singsong voice.

"Go 'way. I'm tryin to sleep." Hermione did sound tired. Harry wavered for a moment, but persevered. Hermione had to see his first prank as a Marauder!

"No, darling, honey dearest. You have to wake up now." He had entered the bedroom, and smiled. Hermione had a very fine indeed leg thrown over the covers, which she was clearly hogging. He hair was everywhere, and her face seemed tiny amongst all the curls and ringlets that were spread over both their pillows.

"No." The tiny rosebud that was her lips was so tempting in that little pout that Harry had to kiss it lightly.

"Yep. I have to show you something." One brown eye cracked open, then shut tightly.

"Show me later." Harry knew that if he could get her eyes open at the exact moment he was pouting she would be putty in his hands. One puppy dog look, coming straight up.

"Open your eyes, 'Mione? Please?" She sighed lightly, and opened one eye again, before slamming it shut again.

"Don't you dare try that with me, Potter. I want to sleep." Harry had one more tactic up his sleeve.

"But we have class. And Professor McGonagall said she would let you try the Adamson's Fourth Theory today in class." That got her attention.

"No she didn't." But her eyes were open and she had a suspicious pout on her face. Harry smiled down at her, then immediately broke into prime pouting form.

"Please get ready and go to breakfast with me now, Hermione?" She closed her eyes again but it was too late.

"Fine. Start the shower for me." She felt horrible. What was so bloody important that Harry needed her to get out of bed, _now?_

Slowly Hermione dragged herself out of her little cocoon of warmth and into the shower Harry had faithfully started for her. When she was done washing, she made her way down to her and Harry's little common room, and was not surprised in the least to see Harry waiting for her. What she was surprised to see however, was the expression of boyish excitement he had on his face.

"Morning, love." Hermione tilted her face up for her kiss, and compeletly forgot to wonder about why Harry looked so excited.

"Morning. Breakfast?" Harry gave a huge grin. She didn't feel hungry, and knew it was from the potions Madam Pomfrey had given her. One week on the three potions she had been given in the Hospital Wing, then a different one every day until she went back to her own time.

"Yep! Let's go!" Hermione put up with Harry dragging her to the Great Hall, but had to stop him before they got there to rest for a while.

"Wait- Harry, wait." Hermione collapsed in a small alcove, and leaned her head against the cool stone of the wall. "Damn. We might be a bit late for breakfast."

Harry had the sense to put aside his excitement and calm down a bit. "Does your side hurt, 'Mione?"

Hermione gave a bitter laugh. "What does it look like, Potter?" She tried to push down the anger that was welling up, and barely succeeded. Another side effect, or so it would seem.

Harry was a little taken aback by her tone, but put it down to pain. "Do you need to go see Madam Pomfrey?"

Hermione have a sharp shake of her head. "No. I'm fine now. Let's go."

For the rest of the trip to the Great Hall, Hermione refused to say anything other than a curt, "I'm fine," to any inquiries by Harry about her health.

The Great Hall was packed by the time they entered, more than halfway into breakfast. The Marauders, who had been sending nervous glances toward the door, waiting for Harry to get there, gave a sigh of relief. As they slid into their seats, James rolled his eyes.

"Morning, Fang. And good morning, my lady," he said, grabbing Hermione's hand and brushing his lips over it, a trick that never failed to make girls giggle and smile, but failed dismally on Hermione. He winced at the evil eyes she sent at him as Harry reached over him and grabbed the coffee for his girlfriend. "Finally. I was worried I would have send Peter after you two," he whispered.

Harry shrugged, passing the coffee and accepting the bacon. "She's in a bad mood. Hopefully, she won't remember we're male until after she's calm again," he said in a low voice. He put three slices on his plate and one on hers before placing it next to Sirius, who grabbed five. "Pass the eggs, won't you Paddy?" he called in a normal voice.

Sirius gave a quick bark of laughter, having overheard. "Nice one, mate. Good luck at that."

Hermione glared at him. "At what?"

Sirius blanched a bit, but did not give in. "Nothing, luv. Just ol' Paddy, me lovely, me darling."

Hermione gave a frustrated snarl. "What is it with you guys and the pet names this morning?"

Lily placed a comforting hand on her friends arm. "Hermione, it's okay-" Lily stopped, then put a hand on Hermione's forehead. "You're a bit warm, Hermione." Lily knew something was going to happen, as the boys always got heavy handed with the nicknames before a prank. However, she was smart enough not to do something big when Hermione was feeling bad. Hopefully, the boys were too. But then again, they were boys...

Hermione gave something that in a male would have been called a grunt. "Yeah. Side effect. From the potions I have to take. Which reminds me..." Hermione reached down to rummage around in her bag, grabbing three potion vials.

Harry put his lips right by her ear to whisper to her, knowing her hair would obscure his lips. "Shouldn't you take those somewhere else? So no one can see?"

Hermione's head whipped around, and now Harry was subject to one of her death glares. "Shove it, Potter. I'll take my medicine where and when I want."

Harry held his hands up in surrender, and tried not to glance around as she downed the potions one after another, not even grimacing at the taste. Something was not right with his usually sweet and polite girlfriend this morning.

"Hermione? What other side effects do these potions have?" he asked softly, trying to not anger her.

"Drowsiness, fever, loss of appetite, irritability, and irrationality, for the green one. Irritability and loss of coordination for the purple one. Nausea, mood swings, and fever for the blueish one. Why?" she snapped.

"No reason," he muttered. Lovely. He would have to deal with a tired, feverish, angry, unbalanced, and nauseous girlfriend. At least it would be practice for later in life, when Hermione was pregnant. That thought made him smile, but he immediately regretted it when Hermione huffed.

"Of course you would find that funny, Harry," Hermione said.

It looked like she would say more, but James prodded Harry and nodded over toward the Slytherin table, where people were already starting to cough. "It's time, Fang."

James clapped three time under the table, while Remus and Harry discreetly pointed their wands at various fireworks around the Great Hall.

With a large bang, the fireworks shoot up into the air, getting the attention of everyone in the Hall. In a very curious, curling script they spelled out:

_Mr. Moony, Mr. Prongs, Mr. Padfoot, and Mr. Wormtail proudly present the new Marauder. Welcome to Mr. Shadowfang!"_

The fiery words disappeared, and banners rolled down in place of the ones that represented each house. Each banner had one of the boy's faces on it. Harry's face was on the banner that usually held the Hogwart's crest, smiling and winking at the crowd.

The fireworks went off again, and the curling script formed new words, and all the Marauders winced. "Shite," muttered Moony. "She is not gonna like this."

_Mr. Shadowfang, Mr. Moony, Mr. Prongs, Mr. Padfoot, and Mr. Wormtail present themselves, in a brave and valiant effort to improve the temperament of a certain, delightful, lovely, Miss Granger, or should we say, Mrs. Shadowfang?_

_Congrats on your improving health! We demand an invitation to the wedding!_

Amongst the laughter and applause was one desperate cry of, "How could you!" Hermione was furious, fists clenched and two spots of color rising on her cheeks. The Marauders were cowering in both shame and fear for their lives as they hoped Hermione didn't remember she had a wand. "You- you- you-" With a frustrated growl Hermione spun on her heel and stalked out of the Great Hall.

"Wait, 'Mione-" Harry tried, but failed to grab her wrist. "Damn," he cursed.

With an even larger bang, about half of the hidden fireworks appeared, writing out,

_You are my love, my light, my life._

_I love you, Hermione Granger. _

_Go to Hogsmeade with me _

_next weekend? _

_Mr. Shadowfang_

_PS: I told you I wouldn't forget._

The rest of the few fireworks that had yet to be activated went off, just making bursts of color. Instead of continuing the laugh and applaud, the students looked at the Marauders in shock. This prank had failed, and failed spectacularly. A show like this hadn't been seen since the days when Lily had absolutely hated James, and James had been chasing after Lily with a single minded determination that had been remarkably similar to a small dog.

"Damn. This is god-damned bloody perfect." Harry pounded his fist on the table. "I got her out of bed, got her here, and she runs out cursing my name before I can ask her out. God. Damn. Bloody. Perfect." Each word was accompanied with another bang on the table.

"Mr. Potter! Five points from Gryffindor for lack of consideration for school property. And detention for the next week. That goes for the rest of you, too. Mr. Potter, Mr. Pettigrew, and Mr. Potter will serve with me. Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin will serve with Mr. Filtch." McGonagall went easier on them than she normally would. She was fond of all the Marauders, and had been developing a special place in her heart for Harry, because of his involvment with her new favorite student.

"Yes, Professor."

"Right-o, Minnie!"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Yes, Professor McGonagall."

"Sure thing Minnie!"

Professor McGonagall glared lightly at Sirius and James, then smiled softly at Harry. "Go after her, Potter. She needs to be apologized to and given the opportunity to apologize. Tell her she can try the Adamson's Fourth Theory today in class, if you need something to get her to Transfiguration."

Harry gave a weak grin, and nodded. "Yes, Professor. Right away." Harry turned, and ran with great lopeing strides out of the Great Hall.

* * *

Hermione had wandered half way to the Room of Requirement when she had to stop because of her stupid knife wound. She knew theoretically why it had not healed and her other injuries had, simple time. Madam Pomfrey had gotten to them before her body had frozen. But bigger wounds took more time to heal, and now simple pain potions would no longer work. She was tired and frustrated and just wanted to be back at her mother's kitchen with a large cup of hot chocolate.

"Hermione?" She sat up and wiped her eyes, whispering a quick spell to take away the evidence of her tears.

"Sev? That you?" It was, and Severus came and sat down by her, dark eyes regarding her carefully.

"Yeah. Potter made a fool of himself again." Hermione let out a weak chuckle.

"Really." Sev smiled, teeth gleaming in the low light of the alcove.

"Yep. His 'Marauder Name' is _Shadowfang_." The distaste at the rather infantile name was tangible, and made Hermione laugh again.

"I know. I thought it was silly too." Severus smirked again.

"And you didn't even see the last part." Hermione grimaced.

"No thank you. I don't even want to know." Sev nodded, wisely.

"Good choice. It was not a decision to take lightly."

"It was really that bad?" It must have been worse than she had thought. What had Harry done?

"Worse. I wanted to strangle him. I am thankful you missed the Grande Finale. It was painful." Hermione laughed for real now.

"How painful?" Severus gave her a tortured expression.

"Sappy and arrogant at the same time painful." His expression turned serious again.

"You all right, though?" Hermione nodded.

"Yeah. Just pissed off at both my miserable excuse for a boyfriend and my potions-induced lack of rationality. I really have no clue why I ran out like that." Severus looked at her sharply.

"Potions?" Hermione nodded.

"Yep. Three of 'em." Sev winced.

"Which ones?" Hermione reeled them off from memory.

"Abledo, Uniecare, and Draught of Acinin." Severus winced again.

"Abledo for the pain, Uniecare for health, and the Draught to keep you awake and focused. Merlin, you must feel sick. That list of side effects is about a mile long." Sev's knowledge of strange potions made her grin again, but the grin faded when she heard the pounding steps. Sev poked his head out quickly to see who it was.

"Who is it?" Hermione asked, hoping it wasn't Harry. She didn't really want to talk with him right now...

"That would be Harry." Sev's face darkened.

"Do you want me to run interferrence? I can tell him to stay away for a while if you want." Hermione shook her head.

"Nah. But I really don't want to talk with him right now." Severus gave a wink.

"Say no more. I'll stall him and you can make your way to the Library." Hermione shook her head again.

"No, too predicable. Any other suggestions?" Sev thought for a moment, then nodded.

"How about the Greenhouses? You can hide out there until Transfiguration." Hermione started to nod, then smacked her forehead.

"Damn. We have classes." Sev nodded.

"Great observation. But not for half an hour. And now you need to run." Hermione did so, and as a result she only head the first half of Sev's conversation with Harry.

* * *

Harry looked down at the smaller boy, wondering where the fun, if slightly sour, Sev had gone.

"What do you mean she doesn't want to talk to me?" he asked, or rather yelled.

Severus just gave a smirk and replied, "Just that. She does not want to talk to you. I really am starting to wonder if you aren't really as much of a dunderhead as your cousin is, Potter."

Harry threw his arms up in the air. "But I need to apologize!"

Severus nodded. "Yep. I agree."

Harry looked at him hopefully. "So you'll tell me where she is?"

Severus gave an evil grin then shook his head. "Nope."

"But- you said-" he started, then stopped.

"Yes," Severus nodded, "I said. That doesn't mean I'm going to let you."

Harry glared at him. "I could just force you to tell me."

Sev considered that option. "Well, yes. But frankly, Hermione would kill you. Or worse."

Harry thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. You're right. Did she tell you to stall me?"

Severus nodded. "Yeah. She's not doing to good right now. She's really sick. And the potions she's taking..." He let his voice trail off.

Harry winced. "Yeah. She is not a happy camper this morning." Sev laughed at that, nodding.

"Just wait 'till she's preggers. That will be a laugh." Sev chortled. Harry just looked scared. "Why the long face Potter?"

"Because I'll be the one she'll be bugging. Blimey. I want kids, but I'm not sure I want the hormonal Hermione." Sev stopped laughing immediently.

"You want her to carry your children," he said in a quiet voice. Harry nodded, trying not to look guilty. "You really love her that much? That you want to marry her and sleep with her and have children with her?"

Harry nodded again. "I love her. She is my entire life now. My love, my life, my reason to be. I would be dead ten times over if it was not for my darling 'Mione. So of course I want to marry her." Sev still seemed unconvinced.

"Here. Look." Harry reached into the inner pocket of his robes, drawing out a small box, flipping it open.

Inside the velvet lined box was a glittering engagement ring. It was gold, and sported a more than modest diamond. Around the diamond were several small emeralds. It was an exquisite piece of goblin workmanship, and it fitted Hermione perfectly. Small runes were carved around the band, and Severus knew enough to tell they were runes for a happy and long life, as well as love, forgiveness, and joy.

"I had it inscribed. The inside of the band says, 'I will love you all the days of my life' and there is plenty of magic stored in the diamond and emeralds. It has all the protection magic I could place on it, too."

Severus looked at Harry with wide eyes. "You were planning to propose today?"

Harry shook his head. "No. I've been carrying this around with me for weeks, waiting for the right time. I know Hermione well enough to know she wouldn't want me to propose on a special day. She's told me more than once that she feels that the day she gets proposed to should be special, as in making an ordinary day special. So no proposing on Christmas, or her birthday."

Sev whistled softly. "Wow."

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I'm pathetic. I know."

Sev shook his head. "No. You're devoted to her. There is a difference."

Harry smiled. "Yeah. Thanks. However, I'm pretty sure that that won't make a difference to Hermione right now. I'm ninty-five percent sure she hates my guts right now." He closed the box, putting it back in his pocket. "So you don't have any idea where I can find her?"

Sev thought for a moment, then sighed. "With a show like that, how can I resist? She might be down by the greenhouses."

"Thanks, mate!" Harry called over his shoulder. "I owe you one!"

Sev laughed. "You got that right, Potter," he muttered.

All of a sudden, he straightened. "Damn!" he exclaimed. Why was it that evey girl he even liked a little bit ended up having a Potter in love with them? And why did they have to love them back?

"It is not easy to be Severus Snape," he sighed, before turning and walking over to the Transfiguration classroom.

* * *

**So, tell me how you liked it. A lot of people have been telling me that my Harry and Hermione are too perfect. I disagree. However, you will all see where this fight leads. Remember, Hermione is drugged up on potions, is feeling horrible, and is dragged out of bed when she really just wants to sleep. **

**FLAMERS: I hate you too. And I also hate looking at my Story stats and seeing I got a new review, and instead of feeling happy I feel scared that it is a flame. PLEASE STOP! I am serious. And no, I am not pulling this story out of my butt. Hermione got her black belt at age eleven and I know it is possible because that is what I did. My brother got his when he was ten. My dad got his when he was tweleve. If you are dedicated and serious about it, it is very possible. I was going about fifteen hours a week when I got my belt. I still love karate. It is a huge part of my life. And Hermione did not defend herself because at age eleven she does not want to hurt anyone. Satisfied?**

**So now that my rant is over, I have some sad news. I am probably going to put out another chapter, then take a little break. Life is chaotic right now. I have a MAJORLY HUGE GIANORMOUS project due soon. I have about fifty billion others I am half way through. Life is getting to hectic for me to have to stress out about flames and reviews and writing. Note that this is only a possibility right now. I am really not sure. Give me your feedback.**

**Review, vote, give your love to ausland. ;)**


	24. Making Up

**Well. Sorry about the late chapter. Fanfiction decided to be icky last night, and would not let me in. So... Here you are. Enjoy. Thank you for the overwhelming response to the last chapter. I went from 525 to 585. You see why I am so happy? So many people do not want me to take a break, although they do agree that School Comes First! Rest assured the break will only be one week. So not this Tuesday, but the next you will get another chapter.**

**Chapter is dedicated to UKnoULuvAnna. I was not happy to get 23 reviews in one night. I was overjoyed, smiling creepily, and bouncing of the walls. THANK YOU! Poll went to a summary. I really meant to get to it this chapter... but it kinda had a mind of its own.**

**Read, Review, Vote.**

* * *

Hermione made her way down to the greenhouses, sitting down on a bench by Greenhouse Number 3. She felt like she always did when she took her potions: slightly dizzy, kind of sick, and very stupid. Her head was up in the clouds somewhere, and she could not think straight for the life of her. She knew she had over reacted, and the talk with Sev had made her feel better, while making her feel worse. She really needed to go and sleep. Now. And she needed to apologize to Harry, or let Harry apologize to her. She was sort of embarrassed by the prank, but did realize she had blown in way out of proportion. But right now she wanted to sleep and never wake up.

"Why the hell-"

"Do I always do something stupid when you're in a bad mood?" Hermione jumped, and when she saw the tall figure walking toward her, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Harry," she said flatly. He winced a bit, then took one of his hands out of his pockets to run a hand through his hair.

"Hermione. 'Mione. I'm sorry. I was acting like an idiot." Hermione gave him a small smile at his admission of stupidity.

"Yes you were. Care to explain?" She was still sitting, and he standing, and the look of surprise when she patted the seat next to her was very funny. Harry took the offered seat, sitting so he could still look at her.

"Sure. But what exactly do you want me to explain? Getting you out of bed early, the prank, what?" Hermione gave another small smiled.

"All of that would be nice." Harry brightened a bit at her smile, and gave her a blinding grin.

"Okay. So I got you up early so you could see my first prank as a Marauder. And the prank was really designed to make you feel better. Honest." The expression on his face was so boyishly hopeful, Hermione could not help but answer it with another smile. Why was it that she could never stay mad at him? Because he was Harry Bloody Potter, that was why.

"Really. Who was the master mind behind that one?" Harry ducked his head, showing a sheepish grin.

"All of us, really. It started when someone asked what would make you feel better, so I said 'my face' and it kind of spiralled from there. And then I added the really cool part to the fireworks and you left before they could even go off." He looked miserable. "That was the entire reason I got you up so early, and you missed it!" Hermione reached over and patted his arm.

"I heard a second hand account from Sev. He said, quote, it was sappy and arrogant at the same time painful, end quote." Harry looked ignant.

"It was not arrogant! It was a little sappy, sure. But girls are supposed to like that stuff!" Hermione giggled.

"Why don't you tell me what exactly was so sappy and arrogant that you did," she said, a sparkle in her eyes. Harry really was the best remedy for everything...

Harry winked. "I asked you out in front of the entire Great Hall, right after you stormed out on me. While crying. And I made a really sappy refrence to our first date."

Hermione lauged out loud. "Fine. You have my intrest. Tell me what you said."

Harry gave her big smile. "Okay! Will you go to Hogsmeade with me, Hermione?" Hermione paused, tapping a slim finger against her chin.

"I don't know... What do you think, Harry?" she teased with a smile.

Harry grinned back. "I think that you should go with him," he responded in a whisper. "He really loves you, ya know?"

Hermione nodded. "I know. And I love him too. That's why I'm saying yes."

Harry let out a whoop, and picked her up to spin her around. "Yes! The Lovely Lady Hermione is going to Hogsmeade with me!" He yelled in a constrained whisper.

Hermione burst into laughter, again. "What the?"

Harry laughed with her. "An idea James gave me. That was what he did when Lily let him go to Hogsmeade with her."

"I know," Hermione said. "She told me a while ago." Harry started to nod, then blanched and checked his watch.

"Uh... Speaking of 'a while ago,' that was when Transfiguration started. McGonagall is gonna kill me," Harry whimpered. "The only reason I'm not scrubbing the Great Hall right now is because she wanted me to go and find you."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "She did?"

Harry stood up, dusting off his pants. "Yep. And she told me to tell you that you can use Adamson's Fourth Theory today in class." He held out his hand for his girlfriend, who eagerly accepted.

"Well? What are we waiting for?" she said, keeping hold of his hand. "How much of class has gone by?"

Harry checked his watch again. "About ten minutes. If we explain it as me trying to get you to come back inside, and blame it all on you, no one should get in trouble."

Hermione gave a realistic sounding gasp. "You would put my perfect academic record on the block? Harry, how could you!"

Harry back peddled fast. "I would never do such a thing, milady! Banish the thought! Nay, perish it! Such a evil idea must die!" The result of the following conversation had both laughing when the reached the Transfiguration classroom.

They schooled their features before stepping into the room, entering silently. Professor McGonagall was in the middle of giving a lecture, and paused as the couple walked into her classroom, fifteen minutes late.

"Mr. Potter. Miss Granger. Please take your seats. Five points from Gryffindor for your lateness Mr. Potter, and five for your's, Miss Granger. Mr. Potter, twenty points to Gryffindor for getting Miss Granger inside the castle. And twenty to you for lecturing Mr. Potter on this morning's prank, Miss Granger." With a rare smile, Professor McGonagall faced her astonished class.

"Now, Adamson's Fourth Theory revolves around the concept that all that was once living, can be Transfigured into a living state using a lesser amount of energy than Transfiguring it into a object that has never lived. It's counter states..."

Harry and Hermione took their seats, Harry pulling out Hermione's chair for her, and accepting her nod of thanks. As they settled into their seats and took out their parchment and quills, they exchanged a secret smile. It did feel nice to think that someone in this dimension was on their side in this whole mess. And if that person was Professor Minerva McGonagall, so much the better for them.

As the lecture continued, Harry was slipped a note under the table, from his father. Or was it his friend? It was all very bloody confusing...

He unfurled the note, grinning when he saw what his fellow Marauder had written.

_Shadowfang (Bloody lucky fool to have such a cool name, thank you very much),_

_What the bloody hell did you say to Hermione? She left the Great Hall in  
tears, and comes back with a laugh in her eyes and letting you draw her  
chair for her. I need that book you learned from. Now. _

_To business: We got the details of our detention from Minnie. You, me,  
and Mr. Wormtail have it tomorrow with Minnie. According to her, we have to change  
all the animals from her lessons back to what they used to be, then we have  
to clean their cages. At least we aren't scrubbing bedpans, like Moony and  
Padfoot._

_How did Hermione take the prank? _

_Prongs_

Harry dipped his pen in his inkwell, penning out his reply on the same sheet of paper.

_Prongs, _

_I told Hermione how stupid I was. And how much I love her. And invited her to Hogsmeade  
with me. And she agreed that I was stupid and that she loved me and she is going with  
me to Hogsmeade. _

_She did not really appreciate the prank. But did you really expect her to?_

_Could you and Moony do me a favor? Or really, Lily and Moony.  
__Can you get the two of them to get Hermione  
to stay in the library for the evening? And my free period?_

_Shadowfang_

Harry charmed the note to go under the table to James, who caught it, and unfolded it. He looked over at Harry and nodded, confirming the plan. Harry nodded back, giving a two fingered salute. Great. His plan might work.

After Transfiguration, Harry and Hermione walked down to their next classes together, holding hands and joking. They could see everyone was surprised at their affection, after seeing the display in the Great Hall earlier in the morning. William Calley was one, who jogged up to them while on their way to lunch.

"Oy! Potter, Granger!" They stopped, allowing him to catch up. "What the bloody hell was that about? In the morning? Do have to actually try to be a great prat Potter, or does it come naturally to you?"

Hermione laughed, and nodded to William. "I am pretty sure it comes naturally. He wouldn't be so talented otherwise." The two of them laughed louder, while Harry looked on with a wounded expression.

"Why is it that every time we get with another person, they end up ganging up against me with you, 'Mione dearest?" Harry asked. "Is it so much to ask for you to gang up with me on the other person? Or even have us make fun of you?"

"Unfortunately, yes, Potter," came a drawl from behind him. Harry spun around, and snorted.

"Nice of you to give us your two Knuts. You can leave now, Snape." Hermione smacked his arm.

"Harry!" she said, at the same time Severus started to speak.

"Potter. It seems you work fast," Sev said, gesturing to Hermione. "Last I saw of this bird she was hiding from you."

Hermione scowled. "I was not hiding. I was merely looking for an alternative route to Transfiguration."

Severus smirked. "That lead you to the Greenhouses."

Hermione huffed. "It was a very alternative route."

William laughed. "I see. It was not hiding at all."

"Finally! See, Harry, you can take lessons from William. He knows how to be polite to a lady," Hermione exclaimed. "Now are you going to do something about this ruffian?" she asked, pointed an accusatory finger toward Severus.

Harry tapped his finger against his chin, then shook his head. "As much as I love you, darling, I really am enjoying this. Gentlemen, commence!" The four playfully bickered until they reached the door to the Great Hall.

Hermione tucked her arm into her boyfriend's. "You know, we need one Hufflepuff and we'll have the full set," she remarked.

Will shook his head. "You mean one Slytherin. Severus is as much of as Hufflepuff as I ever saw." This caused a Severus to glare and Hermione to smack William on the arm.

"Appologize. Severus takes great pride in being in Slytherin, and you should know better than to make fun of a house of Hogwarts. If you had been Head Boy, what kind of example would you have been giving the rest of the school?" Hermione asked, hands on hips. "Don't make me call Dorcas, William Calley."

With only a few more friendly taunts, the foursome entered the Great Hall, splitting off to sit down at their separate House tables. Harry and Hermione sat down together, drawing more whispers about the status of their relationship.

"Don't people have anything better to talk about?" Harry muttered under his breath. "It's almost as bad as it was in our Fifth Year."

Hermione patted his arm sympathetically. "It's not that bad, Harry, Wait until we go back. That will be a nightmare."

He smiled down at her. "But you'll be by my side the entire time."

She smiled back. "Writing your speeches and dancing with you at those stuffy Ministry Balls."

The moment was broken when Sirius poked Harry with a roll. "Lover boy! We are trying to eat here."

"And?" Harry asked, grabbing some shepard's pie and passing the plate to Hermione.

"And," Sirius said, with exaggerated patience, "We can only stand so much lovey dovey and goo goo eyes before you make us puke."

Lily smacked the back of his head. "Sirius! I for one think they are very cute."

After a quick glare from his girlfriend, James pitched in. "Yeah, Padfoot. They are perfectly adorable. Now find yourself a lady and stop complaining." A quick glance at Lily, who gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and he nodded, knowing he had done well.

Remus snorted. "Whipped," he fake coughed. Lily and Hermione both lifted one eyebrow.

"I mean, Achoo! Allergy season, you know," he said fast.

Hermione laughed. "Remus. It is January."

"Uh..." Remus couldn't think of anything to say before Sirius jumped in, trying to help his friend.

"Remus is allergic to snow," he exclaimed, putting an arm around his friend, who buried his head in his hands. "Right, Remus?"

Remus sighed. "Yes. Of course, Sirius. I am allergic to snow. Woe is me, for I live in Scotland." The table broke out in laughter, others having heard what Sirius had said.

Hermione's laugh was clear and high, drawing surprised eyes. Almost no one had seen her laugh before. Would a joke about snow really make her that happy?

But if the curious observers had looked closer, the would have seen Harry's arm around her waist, and his lips by her ear.

"Will you meet me in the Room of Requirement? Tonight?" Hermione twisted in her seat to look at him.

"Why?" she whispered. "We have our own sitting room now." Harry gave her a small smile.

"You are right. It is ours. And that means we can't have a date there. I need to keep my fair lady happy, do I not, Hermione?" His soft voice was giving her the shivers, and it took Hermione a moment to respond.

"Okay. What time?" She murmured back. She did have homework... As did he.

"Nine. That way we have an hour before curfew." Hermione thought for a moment, then responded.

"Is this a nice fluffy date, or is it going to be a heart to heart talk?" She had some things she need to tell him, and this did seem like the best time to do it.

Harry pressed her close to him. "A heart to heart. Unless you want a fluffy date."

Hermione streched to press her lips to his throat. "A long talk sounds just fine to me."

"Good," he said, green eyes heated. "I'm looking forward to it."

They returned their attention to their friends, who were pointedly not looking at them, Remus and Lily discussing classes while the other boys discussed Quiddtich.

"You know, you can-" Harry started, but was interrupted.

"Are you Harry Potter?" A small girl with Hufflepuff robes held a scroll in her right hand, and looked terrified out of her wits, to be talking to the popular, new, Seventh Year. Harry instantly felt sorry for her, and nodded.

"Yeah. Did Professor Dumbledore ask you to give that to me?" he asked in a soft voice, trying not to scare her.

The girl nodded, relaxing a bit. "Yep. How did you know?"

Harry chuckled. "Albus Dumbledore has not changed much over twenty years," he said cryptically.

The small girl narrowed her eyes. "And how would you know that? You're only eighteen."

Harry nodded. "I am only eighteen. But my parents went here, and they knew him, as did my godfather. And Professor Dumbledore and I have talked on many occasions." Harry squinted at the girl, turning his head a bit to try and identify her. "What's your name, since you seem to know mine?"

The girl blushed a bit. "Maggie Roberts," she said, causing Harry to shake his head. As far as he knew, he did not know any of her children. Harry stood up, holding out a hand for Maggie to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Maggie Roberts. And thank you for delivering that letter to me." At this, Hermione turned from her place at bench, wondering why Harry had risen.

"Harry?" she asked, then spotted the young girl. "Hello."

Maggie squeaked, then looked at Harry, eyes betraying her fear of the older girl. "Maggie, this is my girlfriend, Hermione. Hermione, Maggie just gave me a letter from Dumbledore. I have to get to the library, then I have a rest period." He bent down to give her a quick kiss, then left after a quick reminder of their upcoming date.

Maggie returned to her table, wondering about the tall boy with the piercing green eyes and kind heart. If she was only five years older! Then she would have a chance. But Maggie wasn't in Hufflepuff for just any reason. She was perceptive, and could tell where a person's loyalties lay. She could tell that both Harry and Hermione were devoted to each other. It was plain to any passerby that they were in a relationship, but Maggie wondered if anyone else knew that they were in love.

Ah, well. If only, if only. Maggie sighed again, pushing her food to the other side of her plate. She would get over Harry Potter.

Harry did go to the library, but only to return a book quickly. Instead, he took the shortcut to Gryffindor Tower, going into his and Hermione's room and grabbing the gift Hermione had given him for Christmas.

It was an unobtrusive brown journal, worn and torn. It smelled like vanilla and green tea and sage, and Hermione. Harry ran his wand over it and winced, if any one other than himself tried to get in there, they would end up in the Hospital Wing, if not St. Mungo's.

Harry opened the book, flipping through it quickly. There were pages of pages of writing, sketches, formulas... All in Hermione's perfect handwriting. He turned the pages back to the first page, sitting down in a chair to read. The first words jumped out at him.

_Dear Harry,_

_You would not believe what has happened. Well, actually you would believe but only because I was the one who told it to you. I'm trapped in an alternate dimension. With your parents! Oh Harry, you would love them..._

He read the first few pages, speeding up as he read more and more of Hermione's life after arriving at Hogwarts, in 1977. She wrote of missing him desperately, she did Arithmatic formula after formula trying to confirm what she suspected was true, and vented her fustrations with his father and godfather. She wrote of girl time with Lily, of classes and tutoring.

But what surprised him most were the sketches. He had never known Hermione could draw. There were sketches of his parents, of the Maruaders, of the Hogwarts grounds. None were perfect, but most were good, or better than good. He had never thought to ask her, it just didn't seem like something Hermione would do. She was a bookworm, and it didn't seem like she would have any time for frivilous pastimes like drawing or dance.

In reading her journal, Harry was transported into Hermione's life. Now he knew more about her than he ever had before, more than her favorite class or how she go the scar on her elbow. Know he knew that she could draw, fight, and dance. He knew what she had nightmares about, what she dreamed of when she allowed herself to think about him. Harry was humbled by her gift, and knew nothing he could give her could compare.

It was almost seven when Hermione walked into their room, letting her book bag collapse on the floor.

"What are you doing? You missed dinner, you know." When she reached over to hand him the sandwitch she had gotten him from the Kitchens, she caught a glimpse of what he was reading.

"Hermione," he breathed, pulling her down to his lap after moving the book aside. "I love you. I love you more and more every day."

Hermione didn't say anything, just letting him hold her and kiss her hair. "Do you want to go the Room of Requirment now?" she asked him. He had said they need to talk, and she was curious about what he wanted to talk to him about. She was content to let him hold her, but her curiousity was growing by the minute.

"Um. Yeah. I guess." The two stood up, Harry grabbing his cloak and copy of the map.

The walk to the room was quick, and silent. The two were thinking of what needed to be said, and how to approach it.

Hermione was not only curious about what Harry needed to talk to her about, but she was also very nervous. Soon they would have to go after the Horcruxes Voldemort had already put in place. She was not sure how Harry would react to her telling him this. He did not want to kill again, he felt he had finished the task the world had allotted him. But he had his saving people thing, and would not want to watch the world die again. Hermione knew Harry would do anything and everything for his friends, for those he loved. In the short time they had been in this dimension, he had grown to love his parents, and remembered how much he loved Sirius. He would face Voldemort once more for them.

In the time it had taken them to walk to the Room, Hermione's mind was set. She would talk to Harry about going after the Horcruxes. She had already gotten permission from Dumbledore to leave the school for purposes they deemed necissary. The best time for them to get the locket and the ring would be next week, during the half moon.

Harry paced in front of the Room, repeating, _I need a place to talk with Hermione. I need a place to talk with Hermione. I need a place to talk to Hermione._ Three times. When he finished, a door appeared, and the two of them walked in.

The Room had given them a small sitting room, with a fireplace and a sofa. There were also a few chairs made for one person, and some for two. On the small coffee table, a tea set was steaming gently.

After they had prepared cups of tea and settled down on the comfortable sofa, Harry opened his mouth to speak at the same time Hermione did.

"You first," he said, wanting to put of what he wanted to tell her for as long as possible.

Hermione nodded. "Okay." They sat in silence for another moment, before she took a long sip of tea.

"We need to talk about the Horcruxes."

* * *

**Did you like it? Remember, if you kill me over the cliff hanger, you will never get another chapter. Just saying. **

**Thank you for reading, any questions just ask. I am sorry I am not able to reply to reviews, as my parents would go spare and ground me for life. I just want to say:**

**VOLDEMORT IS NOT INTERESTED IN HERMIONE THAT WAY! HE WANTS TO COURT HER INTELLECT AND GET HER TO JOIN THE DE'S! THAT IS ALL!**

**Okay. That is out of my system.**

**Review, vote, go do your homework (ausland, that includes you. I am sirius.)**


	25. Proposal

**Hello? Anyone still out there? I'm back!**

**So. The break was nice, but I missed writing. I over did it on one essay, and made my teacher mad in a happy way. (She never had one student write eight pages on a two page story. But I made a 100 so that was alright.) So here you go! **

**This chapter turned randomly gooey halfway through the beginning. Sorry 'bout that. You'll see... I finally address the horcrux issue. And I used a suggestion from a lovely reviewer, Christian Cadet. This one is for you. :) I give you this chapter, and the event that happens in it.**

**Poll went to... Sad. It doesn't really apply, but I just wanted to see if my writing was getting to predictable.**

**Enjoy, then review, go to my profile, vote, then read my new story, _The Language of Flowers._**

* * *

Harry started visibly, then nodded. "You're right. We should have done this earlier."

Hermione was relieved to see that he was taking it so well, and smiled gently. "We probably should have. But we didn't, and that is what we need to talk about."

Harry gave a vague gesture with his hand. "Go ahead. You say your piece, I'll say mine."

Hermione took his hand in her own, and started. "So far, we know that the ring, the cup, and the diary are done. We definitely know that the snake and -well- you are not done yet. The locket and the diadem are uncertain. It may already be done, and is just not at the lake. We don't know whose death made that one."

"Wait," Harry said, a small frown on his face. "The diadem is already made. It is here at Hogwarts, remember? Tom dropped it off after trying to get the teaching position."

Hermione smiled brightly, a smile that slowly turned bitter. "So it is right here in this very room."

Harry nodded solemnly. "It is."

Hermione ran a hand through her curls, grimacing when it snagged in the mass of ringlets. "So that is one we don't have to leave to take care of. The diary is with Malfoy, and the cup is with Bellatrix." Hermione could not stop a slight shudder at the fear that ran through her just saying her tormenter's name.

Harry noticed, and his frown turned more pronounced. "I will kill the animal for what she did to you," he proclaimed, drawing his arm around her to pull her closer. "I can't lose you again. Never."

Hermione patted him on the back, murmuring soothing nonsense. Ever since he read her journal, he had been clingy, getting as close to her as possible.

"Are you okay, Harry?" she asked, still rubbing his back. She felt him nod into her shirt, kissing his nose when he raised his face from the fabric.

"Yeah. I'm more than okay. Hermione, you gave me your soul with that journal. I know- I know so much more know. You made it that much easier for me to figure you out."

Hermione smiled sadly at him. "You know I never intended for you to read it."

Confused, Harry looked back at her. "But you gave it to me."

"Before that."

Still confused, Harry thought for a moment. "You wrote it as a letter for me."

Hermione nodded, "Excellent observation, Potter."

Realization hit him. "You wrote to me for months, baring your soul because you thought I would never read it." The real implications of this bowled Harry over. "You love me. You've loved me."

"And I will love you. Forever." This quiet declaration of faith moved Harry, almost to tears.

"And I you. You are my past, my present, and my future Hermione." Harry sent a searching hand into his robes, grasping the small box that had lived their for an inordinate amount of time. He slid off the couch, keeping Hermione's hand in his. "I will love you forever and a day, until the earth stands still, and I will love you even after that. I know I am a danger magnet, and will probably be a press magnet when we get home. You've been with me since the troll, since we encountered Fluffy the first time and the last. You were the one who saved me more time than I can count. You have always helped me, and never betrayed me. Even now, you rarely put your own happiness before my own. Every time I picture my future, you are in it. I love you, Hermione Jane Granger. Will you do my the honor of becoming Hermione Jane Potter?"

He popped open the box, allowing Hermione to see the ring in the box. She gasped, emotion coursing through her body.

Hermione could not speak for a moment, then came to her senses suddenly. "Yes. I would like nothing better than to become Hermione Potter."

Harry slid the beautiful ring on to her finger, rising when she did. Instead of admiring her ring like he had half expected her to, she pulled his head down and kissed him. Or rather, snogged him senseless.

"I love you, Harry. I love you so much," said Hermione, between kisses.

It was at least a half hour before they calmed down, and began talking about the Horcruxes again, with Hermione stating the plan they would be using.

"So I thought we could head after the ring first, then go for the cup. However, it might be easier to find the diadem first. What do you think?"

Harry pecked his fiancee on the lips quickly, smiling when he thought about the witch who would soon be his wife. "I think we should do the diadem first. The cup and the diary will be bloody hard, too." Then a though struck him. "Blood hell! There is a seventy foot basilisk under the girl's bathroom!"

Hermione blanched a bit at that thought. "What should we do?"

A nervous hand made its way though Harry's unmanageable locks. "I don't fancy going up against it again. Do you think it is awake?"

Hermione thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No. I remember doing research on basilisks in second year. They go through cycles of wakefulness, every fifty or so years. They have a growth spurt, and require nourishment. I suspect before Tom Riddle opened the Chamber of Secrets, the basilisk fed on rats and other critters."

Harry also looked thoughtful. "So it is definitely sleeping right now?" he questioned Hermione.

"I'm 98% sure. Are you thinking of putting it down?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "It would be the humane thing to do, considering the amount of people it could hurt, or kill. Think the Sorting Hat will give the sword again?"

Hermione nodded. "It gave it to you once. It must look into your soul and see that you are pure of heart and will use the sword to kill a menace to the school. I'm confident that it will give you the sword."

"Well, that is one obstacle taken care of. Do you have a sneaking suspicion that we will need to get close to Bellatrix soon?" Harry grimaced at the thought.

Hermione started to nod, then stopped. "She is a Black right now."

"And?" Harry could see the little cogs and wheels of Hermione's magnificent brain working, and started to feel a little worried. "Hermione?"

"Harry, do you remember when Walburga and Cyrus died? Padfoot's mum and dad?"

Harry thought for a moment, mentally going back to the Black Family Tapestry. "Some time soon, I think. Around Easter. They make Reggie the Head of the Family, but Sirius' Uncle Alfie protested. Sirius got to be the Head, because of some obscure old law. Sirius was not fully disowned when he ran off to James and his family, as his mother thought they could make him 'see the light' or some bullshit like that."

Hermione clapped for joy, throwing her arms around Harry. "After Sirius or Reggie are the Head of the Black Family, if Bellatrix dies, then everything in her vault in Gringotts is left to her Head of Household. Or Sirius could disinherit her, and claim what remains in her vaults as possessions of a Black."

Harry grinned. "So I can kill the crazy bitch?" He desperatly wanted his revenge on the woman who had caused Hermione's screams.

"Yes. You can kill the crazy bitch." The two kissed again, then separated.

"And the diary?" Hermione thought for a moment.

"Sirius can allow her marriage to Malfoy. Then if Lucius Malfoy dies, his vaults are left to his widow. Then Sirius can disinherit her, or if she dies then the vaults become his. Hopefully the diary would be in them. Either way, the house would become Narcissa's property, and Sirius could command her to let him search the house." Hermione was not sure her solution was watertight, but it would suffice for now.

"That's good." The couple bounced around ideas for a few more minutes, before Hermione's curiosity became too much for her again.

"Did you have something you wanted to ask me, Harry?" she asked bluntly.

Harry nodded, a strange light entering his eyes. "Yeah. You saw that the Elder Wand healed my old wand. Do you think it would be able to help you?"

"I hadn't thought of that." It was true. Hermione had not been really concerned for her own health, as she knew she could not get horribly worse before returning to her dimension. But maybe the fabled power of the Deathstick would allow her to go for longer without the dreaded side effects.

"Can we try now?" Harry asked. He felt full of hope, hope that the wand of men who had made his life miserable might be able to make his life brighter.

Hermione considered the notion, the shook her head "No. You will most likely need be at peak magical power, so during the half moon would be best. That is less than a week from now, I think."

"Oh. Okay." True, Harry was a bit disappointed that he could not do anything right then and there. But Hermione would allow him to try.

"Last question," Harry asked. "Do we have to do anything special to go back to our own dimension?"

Hermione laughed, shaking her head. "Nope. We just have to stand exactly where we landed. Then we get sucked back to a Voldemort free world."

"Good. I can't wait." He stood, reaching out a hand to pull her up with him. They kissed again, then got back under the Invisablilty Cloak to go back to their Common Room.

As Harry readied himself for bed in the bathroom, Hermione collapsed on the large bed, overwhelmed with emotion. She lifted her finger to stare at her engagement ring.

_Her_ engagement ring. She was awed by the beautiful piece of workmanship, and new enough runes to be surprised by the amount of power and skill went into the ones on her ring. The diamond was large and flawless, while still being modest and not tawdry, or overly gaudy. The emeralds around the diamond were a shade that almost exactly matched Harry's eyes, and were her favorite shade of green. The band was gold, and finely wrought.

Even so soon, she was loath to take the ring off. However, curiousity won again, as Hermione really wanted to take a closer look at those runes.

_Love, happiness, forgiveness, wait-_ Hermione tilted the ring just right, and she could see tiny words inscribed on the inside of the band.

"I will love you all the days of my life," Hermione read aloud. "Oh, Harry," she whispered.

"Yes, my lovely wife-to-be?" A large arm snaked around her waist and pulled her closer to his wonderfully muscled body. Hermione shivered, and arched her neck, giving her fiancee access to her neck.

"I love you." He chuckled from behind her.

"I love you, too. Do you like the ring?"

Hermione started to nod, but instead turned herself around so that she was facing him. "I liked it very much, Mr. Potter."

"And I like you very much, Miss Granger." He kissed her full on the lips this time, making her head spin.

"Wait- Harry- Please-" She said in between kisses. "I think we need to talk about this."

Harry stopped immediately. "Yes? Was I going to fast?"

Hermione just wrapped her arms around him. "Not really. But we do need to talk about it."

They sat down on the bed, and Hermione reflected on how lucky she was to have this loving and intelligent man in her life. The handsome face and muscles were just a plus, she decided. She had still liked him back when he was a scrawny eleven year old, after all.

"Do you want to wait?" Harry asked. It would not bother him. He had waited this long to just see her face again, so he could wait until they were married.

Hermione thought for a moment, then nodded. "I was raised Catholic. I realize waiting for marriage is not exactly popular, and-"

Harry interrupted, lying down on the bed and pulling her to him. "If that is what you want, then it is fine with me."

Hermione smiled. "You didn't let me finish, Harry."

He blushed a bit, then smiled back. "Go ahead then."

"And that is not really practical in these times. For example, if it was the night before the Final Battle, I would have no regrets about shagging you, engaged, married or not, as long as I knew you cared for me. I just don't want it to be meaningless."

Harry was more than a little confused at this. "But I do care for you. I love you. You know that, right?"

Hermione nodded, bring her face so close to his that their noses touched. "I know. But if we can I would at least want to wait until we are married. But now that we are engaged, we can do- well, other things." The blush on her face at those words betrayed her true meaning, the one that Harry correctly interpreted and obeyed.

That night, there were no 'other things.' One, because of the wards Dumbledore had erected. And two, because neither of them were really ready yet. Just two teenagers in love, with the good sense to keep control over their emotions and hormones.

* * *

The next morning, no one was surprised when Harry and Hermione came out of their rooms holding hands. What did surprise them was the glittering ring on Hermione's finger.

Lily was the first one to notice. She has gotten up from her seat on James' lap, and walked over to give Hermione a hug. "Where were the two of you last night," she asked. "Remus and I were looking for you and-"

A high pitched squeal echoed through the Common Room. Those curious to the source of the noise saw to girls jumping up and down happily, laughing and almost crying. When people began to filter what was being said, they watched astounded.

Finally they calmed down, and Lily pulled Hermione over to their group of chairs.

"Harry proposed!" she announced, grabbing Hermione's left hand. "Don't you just love the ring!" As the word spread through the Common Room, two girls ran back to their dorms, holding back tears, while others sniffed and pretended they did not care.

All the seventh year girls and most of the sixth year's oohed and aahed over Hermione's hand, exclaiming over the size and clarity of the diamonds and emeralds. However, the high point in Hermione's morning was when Amanda Skeeter walked over, hands on hips to, "See what all the fuss was about."

Hermione just looked away, disinterestedly, while Lily smirked at the younger girl. "Isn't Hermione's ring just gorgeous? Didn't you hear? Harry proposed!"

Amanda's eyes widened. "He did not!" she screeched, outraged. "He is mine!"

The girls around Hermione gasped. Murmurs of "She's bloody crazy!" could be heard around the Common Room. Harry left his place with the Marauders and walked over to the scene, putting an arm around Hermione, who withdrew her hand.

"I am not, and will never be yours, or anyone elses. The only person I belong to is Hermione. Who is going to be my wife. I believe I have already told you this?" Harry, instead of looking amused as he had the last time he had taken the time to deliver the message to Amanda, looked annoyed. Annoyed, and bloodthirsty.

"But-but- we are perfect for each other! You and I would make the perfect Gryffindor couple!" She stamped her foot, arms in fists by her side. "We were meant to be!"

Hermione laughed. "Like I said before, you have nothing to offer in either looks or wit. Or power from what I've heard from some of the people I tutor. You have nothing that would make Harry even look at you twice if you didn't keep coming to annoy us like this."

Amanda was furious. "Like you do! I bet the only reason he's with you is so he can have you on your back with your feet in the air!" The growing crowd gasped.

Harry whipped out his wand, eyes cold and body rigid with anger. "We will duel! You will not insult the bride to be of a Potter!"

James appeared behind Harry, and at the ready. All the other Marauders were behind him as well. "He's right," James drawled. "Anyone who insults a member an Ancient and Noble House can either surrender his or her wand, or agree to a duel." Didn't this girl know anything about wizarding society?

Amanda was now a shade of orange much paler than the usual 'too many self tanning spells.' The sight of Harry holding out a wand, along with the famed Marauders, was enough to stop the girl's brain.

"Harry! You will stop now!" Hermione put her hands on his arm, pulling them down so that his wand was no long pointed at Amanda. "She is not worth it. She insulted me, because she is upset that you are no longer on the market. We can call Professor McGonagall and get her to take care of her."

"You're right, as always, Hermione." Harry sheathed his wand. "She isn't worth it."

The rest of the Marauders put their own wands away. Harry wrapped his arm around Hermione, at the same James did to Lily. "You will stay away from us. You might have to go to the Hospital Wing to get checked out by Madam Pomfrey. You don't seem quite right in the head." When Hermione tilted her face up to look at him, he shrugged. "Well, she does seem to have an unhealthy obsession with us, darling."

They walked away from the Common Room as the crowed dispersed, joking and laughing on their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Of course, Lily wanted every detail of the proposal.

"So? Tell me exactly what happened," she demanded. "I want to know everything."

Hermione smiled happily, leaning in toward Harry. "We were having a very serious discussion. Harry finally did what I told him to do and read the Christmas present I got him. Then he realized I loved him. He got down on one knee, and told me he would love me forever. I said yes, we snogged. Does that satisfy your curiosity?" Hermione raised one eyebrow, accepting the coffee from Harry, and pouring herself a cup.

Lily sighed. "Harry is so romantic. I want to know every word of his proposal!"

As the two girls laughed and chatted, the four boys gazed at Harry with eyes open wide in shock. "What the bloody hell?" asked Sirius. "You asked her to marry you?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I would think that would be pretty obvious by now, Padfoot."

"Harry!" Sirius threw his arms up in fustration. "Don't you understand what you've done?"

Harry let out a sigh. "No, Sirius, I don't. Explain?"

James took over for his friend. "Now all the girls are going to expect the rest of us to propose. I can sense the brainwaves from Lily right now," he explained in a lowered voice. "All the girls are making goo goo eyes at you, and all the guys are glaring. I mean, look at Jonathan Tery. He hates your guts right now."

Harry turned to look at the Hufflepuff table, and winced when he saw the expression on Tery's face. "Ouch. I think he's trying to bore holes in my back."

Sirius nodded. "You understand now?"

Lily pulled her head out of marriage madness long enough to glare at Sirius. "Language. And you have an unhealthy fear of commitment." Then it was back to the talk of rings and dresses.

"So, Hermione," she started. "What kind of dress do you want? And are you going to do the wedding here," she lowered her voice, "Or where you used to live?"

Hermione shrugged. "I would love to do a quick ceremony here. I know some people back home who will try and rip my eyes out for daring to touch, 'her Harry.' Plus there is the demented Weasley matriarch who thinks that I am meant for her lazy prat of a son and Harry for her obsessive fangirl of a daughter. She will hate us for denying her a big, happy, Weasley, family. And I would love to have you as my Maid of Honor, and Alice, Mary, and Dorcas as my Bridesmaids."

Lily squealed, and hugged Hermione. "Wait," she whispered franticly. "Shouldn't I be the Matron of Honor?"

Hermione laughed. "No way. You are my best girlfriend. Ever."

Lily squealed again, throwing her arms around Hermione. "So what kind of wedding do you want? A beach wedding might be hard in England, a church wedding might be a little hard with the witch aspect, and-"

"Probably a church wedding," Hermione interrupted. "I was baptized Catholic, and went to church every Sunday until I got my Hogwart's letter. I want a church wedding, or an outdoor wedding. Or both. One for Muggle, one for wizarding. Do you think we can do an garden wedding in this place, and a church wedding back home?"

Lily nodded. "That would be best. I doubt there are two many Muggles you know here."

Hermione started to nod, then frowned. "One sec, Lily." She turned so that her lips were under Harry's ear. She pulled him down, and whispered, "Harry? Do you want to have a large part in planning the wedding? Any preferences?"

Harry's forehead crinkled in thought. "I would like to do one here, and one back home. And I would like to have James as my Best Man. And I really hate the color orange."

Hermione giggled, and pretended to wipe sweat from her forehead. "I absolutely detest the color orange. Thank God!"

She turned back to Lily. "Okay. So we can plan the wedding all we want. Harry will ask James to be the Best Man, and no orange flowers."

Lily nodded. "Okay. So where is the garden you were thinking of? And what season?"

Hermione shrugged. "I really have no clue. It will have to be in spring for a garden wedding. But for the actual garden, I am picturing a gazebo and flowers. That is about it."

Lily snapped her fingers. "The Potter mansion. They would love for you to have the wedding there, and that way when you go back home you can live there."

Hermione agreed. "As long as James and his parents agree. Flowers, we can decide later."

"Good. The only other things are who is going to marry you, the cake, and the dress. The first two we can decide later. I want to know what kind of dress you want."

Hermione thought. "I want something with beading or lace. No big, poofy bows or flowers. Something traditional, but sleeveless. White. Elegant."

Remus looked over at the planning girls with a frown. "They do realize they don't have to plan everything now, right?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. But, well, they're scared. Hermione got sick and both have subconsciously realized how mortal they are."

Sirius looked at him wide eyed. "Wow, mate. That was deep."

Harry shrugged, replying, "I know the feeling."

Remus laughed, and checked his watch. "Well, this is all fine and good, but we're gonna be late soon."

The group rose, walking to their first class, which they thankfully had together. The girls continued to discuss the wedding while the boys bickered and joked. When class started, the all calmed down and started paying attention. They were going to have a practical in Charms today, so that meant they were going to listen while Professor Flitwick reviewed with them.

Suddenly, Harry remembered he had never looked at the scroll that Maggie Roberts had given him. However, he shrugged it off. It couldn't be that important, could it?

* * *

**I feel almost guilty for leaving you with that. Tell me your thoughts. **

**So... Did I over do the proposal? I didn't think so, but tell me if you did. I'm trying to word the wedding vows, so if you want them gooey or straight forward tell me.**

**Leave all questions, comments, and praise. (My friends are jealous that I have 40 pages of people telling me that my writing is awesome) I cannot respond PM wise, because of my loving, over protective parents. However, if I think it is a valid question, I will try and answer it in the next chapter. :)**

**BIG QUESTION: I was listening to an amazing song by Corinne Bailey Rae, Paris Nights, New York Mornings. I got inspired, and wrote the first chapter of a long story about it. Basically, Hermione leaves in the middle of the night, and the Daily Prophet tracks her unintentionally glamourous lifestyle until she comes home, a reluctant celebrity. She is weary, and tired of running from her demons (Canon DH EWE). She spends some time with _-_ and they fall in love. I want your input on who _-_ would be. To get a better feel for the direction the story would go, listen to Paris Nights, New York Mornings. Right now, I am really debating between Harry, Draco, or Remus. I would like to know if you, my readers, would be interested in a story like this. Please tell me!**

**So review, VOTE, and go check out _The Language of Flowers. _Please. It is a Sirius and Hermione oneshot, with some H/Hr implied. I was feeling gloomy and...you know...**


	26. Pureblood Culture and Scrolls

**Here is your chapter, you ungrateful, unreviewing people. I hate you all. **

**Grr. **

* * *

"That was horrible! I never knew that a simple Sobering Charm could set hair on fire!" Dorcas ranted. "Don't you think he would have told us? I mean, why even show it to us? We aren't even allowed to drink at school!"

"When did ever stop anyone?" James replied. "I think Flitwick only made a big deal out of it to scare us."

The Charms test had gone surprisingly fast, with only Dorcas and a Hufflepuff named Alexander not making a perfect score.

Hermione nodded. "I can see that. It makes sense not teach the Sobering Charm until Seventh Year, but at least they teach it."

"Well, I think they should teach it in Sixth Year," Sirius countered. "About half the class turns seventeen during the school year."

"Yeah, but then they would have to teach it to the sixteen year olds, too. That would be like telling them it's okay to drink as long as they're sober in class," Hermione argued. "Everyone would go out and drink, of age, or not."

"So?" Sirius responded. "That would mean more attention for the teachers in class. I mean, who really learns who to Transfigure a chair while hung-over? It would help our studies! And help us learn life lessons!"

Harry laughed. "Like what, Padfoot? How many shots of Firewhiskey you can consume before breathing fire?"

"Exactly!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. "We need to know these things before living in the real world."

Everyone started laughing, entering the Astronomy Tower with humor. Professor Sinestra smiled at them benignly, then gave the assignment for the day.

"Using your previous knowledge of the movement of the stars, and last week's homework, chart the paths the stars will be taking tonight..."

After Astronomy, the group walked down to lunch. They were joking around, laughing about the Professor's reaction to Hermione's engagement. (Disapproving, excited, stern, happy.)

"She looked like she was gonna rip off your balls, Fang!" Sirius exclaimed. Halfway through the lesson Professor Sinestra had noticed the ring on Hermione's finger. She had immediately leaped to the conclusion that Harry had gotten Hermione pregnant. It took more than a few minutes for them to reassure her that Hermione was not knocked up, and after that the Astronomy Professor was very happy about the upcoming wedding.

Harry groaned. "Does everyone think I've gotten Hermione preggers?"

James slugged him on the shoulder. "You should have thought of that before you asked the girl to marry you. The two of you share a bloody room for Heaven's sake! What are they supposed to think? That Hermione's such a bloody prude she wants to wait until marriage or some shit?" James sounded annoyed, and there was the same furrow between his eyebrows that Harry got when he was at the end of his rope.

Hermione gasped, and Lily glared at James and smacked him. Hermione put her hands on her hips and glared. "Well. James Bloody Potter is whining like a little baby because his-his cousin asked me to marry him. Are you that disappointed in his choice of wife? And do you think I'm pregnant?"

James ran a hand through his hair. "No, Hermione. You know I'm not. It's just-"

Hermione sighed. "Yeah, James. Everybody thinks so. You're just better at hiding what you're thinking than most. No, I'm not pregnant. And I have decided to 'wait until marriage or some shit.' It would be nice if-"

"Hermione! Can I talk to you for a sec?" Will Calley called out. "Got a question to ask you!"

Hermione nodded, giving the handsome Ravenclaw a fake smile over her shoulder. "Sure, Calley. One minute."

"Fine, Granger!"

Hermione conjured a hair tie, and pulled her hair back. The absence of the riot of curls framing her face made her look unusally pale, and her cimnamon eyes abnormally large. She looked tired and young, the black of her robes leeching the color from her face.

Lily put a hand on her friend's arm, look filled with pity. "Hermione, he didn't-"

Hermione smiled tightly. "Of course he did. He just saying what everyone else thinks. That I'm a know-it-all whore, a prissy little smart girl turned slag who's trapped poor Harry Potter into marrying her. Why else would he propose to her? She's just a whore who couldn't master the Contraceptive Charm. Whatever."

She shrugged off Harry's arm, ignoring his call for her to come back. She walked up to William, giving him a quick hug.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" he asked, jokingly. "So what is this I'm hearing about Harry popping the question?"

Hermione sighed, tears starting to well in her eyes. "Too much. Yes he proposed. No I'm not knocked up. Any more questions?"

"Hermione? What the hell is wrong?" asked Will. "Did someone say something stupid?"

Hermione lifted a hand, wiping at her eyes angrily. "Yes? No? Maybe? I don't know?"

Will glared at the group she had just left angrily. "Who?"

"I dunno. I just want to get away from the collective gossip machine this damn school is. I want-" Hermione paused, remembering the version of the truth they were giving, then continued. "I want to go home. I want my mother. I want to know if my best friends are alive. I want to know if my old teachers are alive. I want to attend their funerals if they're not. I miss how things used to be." She ran a hand over her eyes again. "I just want my cat and my bedroom and my favorite sweater."

Will frowned. "What brought this on?"

Hermione laughed, bitterly. "I've prolly got you thinking I'm preggers. I was just so excited. I couldn't wait to owl my mum that Harry proposed. And then I remembered she doesn't even remember she has a daughter."

"What? I'm confused, Hermione," Will said, forehead srunched up in confusion.

Hermione laughed again. "The war. I charmed my parents into thinking they don't have a daughter. They think their names are Wendell and Monica Wilkins and they live in Australia. "

Will sighed. "Hermione. I'm sorry."

Hermione shook her hand, seemingly embarrassed. "I'm having a pity party. Professor Sinestra was very disapproving when she practically yelled at me in class for getting myself pregnant so young."

* * *

Harry watched Hermione walk toward William. "What the fuck," he hissed, glaring at his father. "Why the hell would you say something like that?"

James glared back. "Like what?"

"Like asking Hermione if she was pregnant," Harry spat. "Do you have a problem with my choice of wife? I thought you liked Hermione!"

James sighed. "I do. But you just don't ask a girl to marry you at this time! Not in Pureblood culture!"

Harry's forehead furrowed. "Why the hell not?"

James hand rose to go to his hairline, but was slapped down by Lily, who was looking at him with very little love in her eyes. "I would like to hear this too, dearest boyfriend of mine."

James winced. "Well, asking at Hogwarts, that's fine. But it can only be done in your seventh year. After Easter Break. During Easter Break, you're supposed to go meet her family, she's supposed to meet your family, and then the in-laws meet and talk finances. Dowries and such. Then when you get your family's approval, you can ask her father for permission. Then you can ask her any time you want. There are just certain rules you're supposed to follow. If you don't, then it is assumed that you knocked the girl up, and her parents are forcing you to marry."

Harry, Remus, and Lily looked over at the other two Pureblood boys, who both nodded. Sirius was the one who spoke. "Well, I never thought Jamsie here would be such a stickler for Pureblood Tradition. Are you so upset to have a Muggleborn in the family?"

"Padfoot! You know I'm not. My grandmum is the Traditional Matriarch, but not that bad. And my grandfather is the same," James explained. "I'm just a little mad that you managed to get all the girls expecting a proposal so soon. That and you made me reveal my master plan to Lily."

Lily looked at James, then smiled softly. "So that's why you invited my parents and I over to Easter Dinner with your folks," she said, head cocked to one side. James nodded, and Lily stretched up so she could kiss his cheek. "That was sweet of you."

Remus shook his head at his friend. "Did you ever think that Harry and Hermione's parents aren't here? Except for, well, you know, but that doesn't really count."

James blushed a bit, embarrassed. "No. I didn't."

Harry gave his father (friend?) a disgusted look. "Great. Now I have go explain to Hermione. And I bet she's feeling awful right now." With that, he turned on his heel to go to where Hermione was talking with Will.

"Hello, darling," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She jumped, then calmed when she realized who her captor was.

"Oh, Harry. You scared me for a minute," Hermione replied, putting her hands over his. "Then she finally calmed down enough to let me explain that I wasn't really pregnant."

Will looked at Harry, anger still in his eyes. "And where was Potter during all this?"

Harry cracked a wry grin. "Potter was sitting with his hands over his balls, praying all the deities he knew that Professor Sinestra wouldn't castrate him."

The three of them laughed, sharing the joke before splitting up to go to lunch. Will walked to the Great Hall, while Harry and Hermione decided to go to the kitchens instead, opting out of the gossip party that was lunch at Hogwarts.

When they reached the reached the Bowl of Fruit Picture, Harry tickled the pear, and opened the door Hermione. As soon as they were inside the kitchens, they were greated by Libby, who was overjoyed to see them.

"Mr. Harry Potter! Miss Miney! I is so happy to sees yous!" she exclaimed almost airborne in her delight. "What can Libby get for you?"

Harry and Hermione shared a glance, then Harry answered. "Lunch, if it isn't a bother. We didn't want to eat in the Great Hall with all the gossip going around."

At this, Libby clapped in delight. "I's is hearing that Miss Miney and Mr. Harry are getting married!"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other and laughed. "Yes, Libby. We are getting married."

"And yous is making babies soon?" Libby asked hopefully.

Hermione nodded. "Soon. But not now. You know that I'm sick, right, Libby?"

Libby nodded solemnly. "I's is knowing. I's is bringing Miss Poppy her potions."

Hermione smiled gently. "Thank you, Libby. But that means I have to wait a while to have babies."

Libby smiled brightly. "That is good. Then you can have many babies. What do yous want for lunch?"

"Whatever everyone else is having today is fine. We just wanted to be away from the gossip," Harry replied, pulling Hermione over to one of the small tables available in the kitchen.

After a nice quiet lunch, Harry and Hermione walked to their afternoon classes, arriving early and sitting together. Harry had explained to Hermione what James had told him about Pureblood Tradition, and she had accepted the explanation. However, that did not mean she was ready to be all buddy-buddy with James.

Dinner was quiet, with Harry and Hermione joining the Marauders and the Gryffindor girls. They still heard the whispers, but it seemed to have died down since breakfast. The Marauders were more subdued than ususal, and the girls did not pelt Hermione or Lily with questions.

Halfway through, Harry got his, I've - Got - A - Idea - That - Will - Give - McGonagall - A - Heart - Attack - Smile, and leaned over to whisper to Hermione, unaware that the rest of the table was watching him warily. They has seen that grin before on James, always with disastrous results. Disasterous results usually meaning explosions and Professor McGonagall with the thinnest lips seen for three or four generations.

"'Mione? Do you think you would like a surprise tonight?" Harry whispered in her ear. "I've got an idea."

Hermione turned, wincing inside at his expression. "What sort of surprise," she asked, unwilling to give her evening to planting dungbombs in Filtch's Office.

Harry smiled. "A good surprise. Something you've wanted to see for a long time."

"Like what?" Hermione countered.

Harry leaned in as close as he could get with their noses in the way. "Like a panther."

Hermione gasped in delight. "Really? You'll show me?"

Harry nodded. "Yep. I have something else for you too."

"What?" Hermione asked, excited. Harry really was a perfect boyfriend. And finacee!

Harry grinned. "It is a surprise. You'll see."

"Spoil sport," Hermione muttered. "I don't know why I keep you around."

"Maybe 'cause you love me?" Harry asked, a hopeful expression on his face.

"Maybe," Hermione agreed, laughing with him.

As soon as the puddings disappeared, the couple made their excuses, walking to their room as fast as they could. Hermione waited in their sitting room while Harry ran to grab his cloak and the map from their room.

Harry held out the cloak gallantly, pulling Hermione as close to him as possible. "You know, we stopped fitting in this in Fifth Year."

Hermione laughed. "Yeah. It would have been First Year if Ron's metabolism wasn't so damn high."

Harry nodded. "For sure. That boy ate so much... But remember, keep down low so that the cloak covers our ankles. God, I was a scrawny kid," Harry muttered. "Okay, so Flich is on the other side of the castle, but Mrs. Norris is by the Fat Lady. We'll have to be careful."

Hermione agreed. "Cats can see through Invisibilty Cloaks. Even if they are Deathly Hallows. Where are the teachers?"

Harry checked the map again, replying quickly. "McGonagall is in her quarters, as is Slughorn. Flitwick is patrolling, but he is near the dungeons, and Sprout is on the grounds. We'll have to avoid her to go to the Forbidden Forest. Professor Vector is near the Transfiguration Corridor."

Hermione sighed in relief. "And Headmaster Dumbledore? You said his glasses could see through the cloak."

Harry frowned, shaking his head. "I don't think he can do that now. Only the Elder Wand could enchant his glasses to see through my cloak, and he needed to get it from James to experiment enough to figure out what spell he would need."

"Okay then. Ready to go?" Hermione asked, eager to see Harry's form."

"Ready," he replied, and they began the walk to the tower. They opened their door, slipping out of the Fat Lady when the Portrait opened. Skirting around Mrs. Norris, they used the secret passages to get to the grounds as quickly as possible. Once they had exited the castle, the only obsticle was Professor Sprout, who was preoccupied with the teenaged Mandrakes.

It only took ten minutes to get to a nice clearing in the Forest, and Hermione warded the area so that no unwanted creatures would be able to attack. That took five minutes, more than enough time for Harry to prepare.

"Do you want to see my form, Hermione?" he asked, appearing right next to her when she turned around.

She gave a breathless gasp, one that Harry thought was rather cute, and put her hands on his chest. "Very much so, Mr. Potter," she breathed, pulling his head down to her to give him a kiss. "Go for it."

Harry backed up a bit, and seemed to melt into the ground, becoming the lithe cat that was his Animagus form. He rolled his shoulders a few times, yawned, and padded over to Hermione, rubbing his head against her robes.

"Wow. Harry, you look amazing!" she exclaimed, stroking the silky fur on Harry's head. "I am so jealous."

Suddenly, Harry leaped at her, wrestling gently, playing. Hermione shrieked with laughter, playing with the large cat. "Harry!" she screamed, pinned to the ground by a giant cat.

"Yes?" he asked, transforming back to his human form. His heart stopped for a moment, overwhelming him with love. The girl, no- woman in front of him loved him. She looked beautiful then, sunset bathing her face in orange and pink light, hair a mess with grass and leaves, and eyes filled with love. He was an idiot for not having seen it before.

"Why did you go back? she asked, still pinned down by Harry. "I was having fun!"

Harry smiled, kissing her slowly. "I was too. But I have something else to show you."

He rolled off her, holding out a hand to pull her up. "When I was learning to be an Animagus, I did it in a month. The Black Family Library had some old books that gave some spells to speed up the process, and I had my father's notes. Do you want to learn?"

Hermione squealed, jumping at Harry to kiss him and thank him. "Yes! Oh yes! It would be so much fun to learn, and it could really be an advantage in a fight!"

"So, that is a yes, right?" Harry asked, teasingly.

Hermione could not be mad at him. "Yes, you prat. When can we start?"

"Now, if you like." Harry sat down on the grass in the clearing, patting the ground next to him. "You have to clear your mind, like you do for Occulumency. Then I will cast the spell I found in Padfoot's book, and if your mind is clear then you can see your animal form."

"Okay," Hermione said, eyes still shining with excitment. "Give me a few moments to clear my mind properly."

Harry watched in amazement as Hermione changed from excited to perfectly calm in only a few minutes. "I'm ready," she said slowly.

Harry let her continue to breathe calmly for a few more moments, then calmly pointed his wand at her and whispered, "Animalius Revelio."

Hermione went absolutly still, frozen in the moment as a golden glow enveloped her. "Wow," she whispered. "I can't believe it."

"You can stop now, Hermione," Harry said quietly. "What did you see?"

Hermione slowly opened her eyes, smiling gleefully at Harry. "I'm not going to tell you! I had to trick you to get your form out of Remus. Or Sirius. Or James. I really don't remember."

Harry pouted, at Hermione eyes filled with fake tears. "You would really do that do me, love, would you?"

Hermione crawled arcross the grass to him. "I would. But we need to get back now. It's dark, and prolly past curfew."

The two got back under the cloak, walking fast, back to the castle after a whispered, "_Tempus_" that showed that they had just under fifteen minutes to get back into the castle.

They had just gotten in their small sitting room when Harry remembered the quick thought he had mused on, then forgotten in Charms earlier in the morning.

"SHITE!" he cursed, hitting himself on the forehead. "I forgot to open the scroll Dumbledore gave me."

"Professor Dumbledore, Harry," Hermione said quickly, then gasped. "Dumbledore gave you a scroll and you didn't read it?"

Harry shook his head. "Professor Dumbledore, Hermione. And he didn't give it to me, that little girl did. Maggie Roberts."

Hermione nodded to show she understood, then guestured to their room. "I guess you'd better read it now."

Harry ran into the bedroom, returning without the cloak and the map, and with the creamy scroll bound with a crimson ribbon. "Do you want me to read it aloud?"

Hermione nodded. "Go ahead."

Harry cleared his throat, looking down at the note and reading it quickly to himself. "Shite," he muttered. "You're not going to like this, Hermione."

Hermione sighed, a little irritated. "Give it here then, if you're not going to read it out loud."

When she looked at the note, she cursed too. "Damn. I suppose we could make this work."

The note read:

_Harry,_

_Luicus Malfoy called on me today. He has requested  
your presence and that of Miss Granger at a  
private tea Saturday afternoon. The way he  
phrased his request made it clear this is not  
a question, it is an order. I decided it would  
beneficial for you and Miss Granger to attend.  
Be at my office at 1:00 on Saturday, ready to  
Floo to Malfoy Manor. If this in unsatisfactory,  
please respond by tomorrow at 4:00, when I will  
inform Lord Malfoy of your decision._

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

"Shite is right, Harry. I guess we are stuck going to Malfoy Manor for tea Saturday. Is he married to Narcissa yet?" Hermione asked. She was none too happy with the arrangement, but knew she couldn't complain that this gave them an excellent chance to get to know the layout of Malfoy Manor. Two months stay as a prisoner does not a surveyor make.

Harry crossed the room to her, pulling her in to a hug. "I'm sorry you have to go back there. I'm sorry I didn't pay attention to what Dumbledore wanted."

"It's okay, Harry. We can use the opportunity to try and find where the Horcrux is. And Bella won't be there," Hermione replied, leaning back into Harry's arms.

"Right. We'll be fine." Hermione tilted her head up for a kiss, then left for the bedroom to get ready for bed, leaving Harry cursing himself for his stupidity.

* * *

**How was it? I'm past expecting y'all to review, but I'll ask anyway. The last two chapters haven't even gotten fifteen reviews. What am I doing wrong?**

**No poll this week. I'm depressed.**


	27. Practice

**Chapter 27. Enjoy.**

**Chapter is dedicated to Jessiboo. It humbles me to know that there are people reading this story who have kids when I won't even be thinking about marriage for about another decade and a half. Shivers.**

* * *

The week passed quickly, with not much to note. Harry did some asking, and found that Narcissa was married to Lucius, as Remus has mentioned earlier, even though her elder sister, Bellatrix, was still unmarried.

"It was a great scandal. I mean, the Blacks always did their own thing, but marrying off the youngest daughter before her older sisters? I know Bellatrix is supposed to be a little nuts, but still. She's engaged to one of the Lestrange brothers right now, and Andromeda married that Muggle. She was certainly a disgrace to the family," was Holly Viviald's remarks. Hermione was sure that this woman was the mother of Astoria and Daphne Greengrass.

As for the 'order' posed by Lucius, Dumbledore refused to listen to Harry and Hermione.

"I found it to be in your best interests for you to visit Malfoy Manor."

Harry and Hermione had found it in Dumbledore's best interests to leave the office as soon as possible. Hermione grumbling, "It was 'an order.' Pshaw. He is Albus Dumbledore. No one should be able to order him around."

Harry put an arm around her shoulders. "He has always done this. Decided things for us. Mentally, we are both overage. It will only be a few more months."

They had consulted the moon charts, and found that the best date for Harry to try and heal her with the Elder Wand would be Sunday, the night after the upcoming tea with the Malfoy's. Both were excited about it, as was Madam Pomfrey when they informed her. They merely told her that they would be attempting a healing ritual they had discovered, that might be able to help Hermione. She knew more than they were telling her, and they knew she knew more than she was telling them. But all had high hopes, and as the week drew to a close, they grew more and more impatient.

On Saturday, Harry woke early, slipping out of bed silently to avoid waking Hermione, who made a soft noise of protest and rolled over to his side of the bed. He chuckled quietly, and crept into the bathroom.

When he exited, he dressed, slipping into the sitting room without a sound. Hermione was still tired, and he wanted her to be rested and prepared for their meeting in the afternoon.

Good God. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. And if they were really unlucky, Tom Riddle. Severus had told them that Riddle was interested in the pair, although he wanted Hermione more. He had heard great things from the families of his Death Eaters, and the smart girl who had made such a breakthrough in the education of their sons and daughters was wanted. It was automatically assumed she was a pureblood, and although they had no proof, their bigoted minds 'put two and two together' to get three.

How could he allow Hermione to go to the place where she was held captive? How could he just watch as she walked through the house that had echoed with her screams? Merlin's beard, what if Bellatrix was there? What would they do?

A small yawn, and a hand on his shoulder broke Harry's train of rather bitter thoughts. Sleepy brown eyes gazed down at him, and the hand on his shoulder rose to cover another yawn.

"Morning," she mumbled, bending down to embrace him. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Good morning, love," Harry replied. "I didn't want you to be tired later. And I wasn't ready to be socially active yet."

A smiled spread across Hermione's lips, making Harry smile in return. "I need coffee, and you need to stop brooding. It will be fine."

Harry rose, enveloping his best friend and fiancee in his arms. "It has to be. I don't know what I would do if I lost you." He was aware that he was holding her tight, crushing her to his body. She fit, perfectly, clinging to him just as desperately.

"You won't lose me," she reassured him. "I'll be just fine. As will you."

Harry laughed bitterly. "When have I ever been fine? I'm messed up, Hermione. Why do you stay with me?" he finished in a whisper. "What did I do to deserve you?"

Hermione pulled back a bit so she could look at him. "You are mine. I love you. I'm pretty sure you love me too. I am your's. We are not going to be separated. Now get out of your funk and make some coffee while I shower and get dressed."

Harry smiled, and kissed the tip of her nose, and then her lips. "Yes, Miss Granger. Would you like company?" he asked silkily. "I would be ever so happy to oblige."

Hermione flushed, dazed, then snapped out of it. "No, I would not like company, Mr. Potter. Go make coffee." She pressed on last kiss on his lips, then walked back to the bedroom and connecting bath.

Harry watched his girl leave, then Floo'ed the Kitchens to order a pot of coffee. Dumbledore had given them special privileges, as they were not really students. It was an effort of his to get into their good graces, one of many that did not work.

Libby's hand reached through the green flames, depositing a warm pot of coffee into Harry's hands. "Give Missy Miney a hug from Libby," she instructed sternly, then withdrew from the fireplace.

Harry poured the coffee into two conjured cups, taking his with sugar and cream. Hermione, however, preferred hers black, so he left it alone. He had just poured her cup when she left their bedroom, dressed in a pair of jeans and a purple tee shirt. Her mass of curls was pulled back into a tight braid, with a few wisps of hair already attempting to escape.

"Thank you, Harry," she said gratefully. "I need my coffee." Like any other proper English girl, Hermione loved her tea. However, she had a weakness for the heady brew that was coffee. She closed her eyes; bringing the cup to her nose and inhaled, smiling at the scent of the hot coffee. She took a long sip, and sighed. She took another sip, then opened her eyes. "Okay, Harry. I'm awake. Now what's on your mind."

Harry looked into the chocolate eyes he loved, and shook his head. "Nothing. I'm over it already. Just your typical early morning insecurities of no importance."

Hermione raised one eyebrow, giving him her patented, I-Know-You're-Hiding-Something-From-Me-So-Tell-Me-Now-So-I-Don't-Have-To-Torture-You-For-Information look.

Harry took one good look, and winced. "I was nervous about our visit to Malfoy Manor."

Hermione's gaze softened. "Harry. I'll be fine. Will you?" She stood and walked over to his chair, perching on one of the arms.

Harry nodded. "I'll be fine. I'll just be worried about you the entire time." He pulled her off the couch and on to his lap. "I just want to protect you. I never want to see you hurt again."

He pressed his lips to hers, letting all his worries fall away as the mindlessness of the carnal overtook him. He was lost to anything other than the coffee flavored lips of his beloved, barely registering her putting their coffee on the coffee table. Hermione responded wholeheartedly to his kiss, reveling in the need he had for her. After almost seven years of being seen as the sexless best friend, she was eager to do anything that would put her into the desirable woman category.

Her hands were tangled in his hair as she sat on his lap, one of his hands going between them and the other roaming her back as they passionately kissed on the armchair. Harry moaned and broke away, staring into her eyes.

"I love you. I never want to let you go," he whispered, eyes conveying the emotion he felt. "Forever and a day is my promise to you." He went back to her delicious lips, losing his head once more.

"Uh... We can come back later, if you want."

Harry and Hermione broke apart, blushing like Fifth Years. Sirius, James, Remus, and Lily were staring at them, eyes wide.

The couple looked at each other, and Hermione turned around on Harry's lap. "Uh, no, that's okay. You can stay," she said quickly, standing up. "What did you need?"

James and Sirius looked at each other. "We have to teach you how to act at a pureblood tea. Lily and Remus are going to help, then we were going to help you get ready," James said.

"Oh. Okay," Harry said, still blushing. "Should we go to the Room of Requirment?"

Remus nodded. "That was the plan."

Lily gave Hermione a quick hug, and whispered something in her ear before turning to Harry. "You leave at three. We have six hours."

Sirius frowned. "Five. We have to break for lunch sometime."

James shook his head. "Nope. We'll eat so much tea goodies these two will be too stuffed to eat by the time the get to the Manor of Morons."

The group hurried to the Come and Go Room, trying to stay silent and failing miserably, ending up hushing each other more than talking. James was the worst, being the one who was naturally most boisterous.

"Wormy isn't coming. For one he wanted to sleep in for his Saturday, and he has to study for the Astronomy test on Monday. Plus he left all his break homework for the last minute. He made low marks, so when he gets up he has a bunch of remedial homework to do," James practically shouted. Lily smacked his arm at the same time Remus hit the back of his head and Sirius punched his gut.

Hermione just put a slim finger to her lips. "Be quiet, James. Use your indoor voice, please."

That made Harry crack up, and that made Hermione smile and Remus start laughing. Then Sirius started snorting, while Lily giggled. By the time they got to the Room of Requirement, Hermione was sure they had waken up the entire castle. However, they saw no one, and made it the the elusive room before anyone could ask what they were doing.

James was the one to set the Room, pacing back and forth with an intense expression on his face.

"We need a room to teach Harry and Hermione Pureblood manners for an afternoon tea. We need a room that is similar to the one in Malfoy Manor. We need everything we'll need to teach Harry and Hermione manners."

When a door appeared, James stepped through first. "Perfect," he said under his breath. "Padfoot! Does this look like the tea Room at Moron Manor?"

Sirius stepped through, and whistled. "Yep. Freaky."

The rest of them filed into a lovely room, done in shades of cream and pale green and blue. There was two rooms leading off it, which James opened. One was a changing room with sets of dress robes, and the other room was a small pantry.

"Okay," he said. "Lily, Sirius, Remus, and I will change into dress robes. Then we will give a 'sample' tea. You do it with us, and we'll correct you when you do something wrong."

Lily changed first, emerging in a set of pale gold robes that matched the decorations in the main room. "The mistress of the Manor will decorate any rooms that she will entertain guests in with colors that complement her, and her alone. If you want to through her off her game, then you have to outshine her in her own home," Lily explained. "So if you want to show her that you acknowledge she is the center of attention, then you will wear robes that look nice with the room, but not very complementary. If you want to give a subtle snub, then you have to use the colors to your advantage, to make yourself 'glow' in the room."

Hermione frowned. "So after you've been for tea once, you can forever dress to snub the Mistress of the Manor?"

Lily shook her head. "That's why they spend hundreds of Galleons on redecoration every few weeks."

Hermione felt her mouth drop. "Every few weeks?"

Lily nodded. "Every three to five weeks. I had the same reaction when James told me."

Harry walked over to the girls, taking a break from examining the pastries on the tea set. "How do you know all these things?"

Lily shrugged. "I dated a Pureblood boy, and I had to go his house for tea with his parents and grandparents so the could approve of me. I thought I did okay, but it was obvious they didn't like me. I was mortified, so I spent about three weeks living in the library so I would never make a social faux pas in Pureblood Society again. It paid off."

James had just left the changing room, and caught the last explaination. "Bloody Will Calley," he muttered. "You were too good for him Lily Flower."

Harry laughed. "William Calley? Really? Does he make a habit of fancying women the Potters fancy?"

James nodded. "Him and that greasy bastard, Snape."

Hermione and Lily opened their mouths at the same time to reprimand James. Hermione gestured to Lily. "You've known him longest."

Lily shook her head. "I havn't really talked to him in two years. You better."

Hermione nodded her acceptance, then put her hands on her hips to yell at James. "Snape is a better person than you would take him for. He has, is, and will do more than anyone else in this war to try and prevent Voldemort from hurting people. If Harry and I had not come, you and the other Marauders would have driven him into the Dark Lord's arms. You have no right to be such a big bully. When Harry found out what you had done to Severus, he was ashamed to be called your son. He risked a lot to try and disprove that story, from your fifth year. When he found out it was really true-"

"I was devestated," Harry stated calmly. "And that made it easier for Voldemort to get into my head, leading to the death of my godfather. So you should really be happy we're here."

James had a stricken look on his face. "You were ashamed to be my son."

Harry nodded, wincing. "I detest bullies. I was bullied for the first eleven years of my life. I will not stand aside as someone tortures another person. I couldn't stop it then, but I can now. So I will."

James nodded slowly, jolted out of his reverie by Sirius coming out of the bathroom. "Well. I guess someone-"

Remus bumped Sirius as he walked into the room. "Shut up, Padfoot."

James walked over to Harry. "We'll need to talk later. No son of mine will grow up ashamed to have the Potter name."

Remus exited the changing room last. "Okay. So Lily explained about clothing and tea?" he asked, trying to bring them back to subject. "All that? Yes, Lily?"

Lily jerked, then nodded. "Yeah. I told them."

Remus grinned. "Good. You and Harry can go in and select clothes with the goals in mind. Not together, mind you. Hermione first, then Harry." The tight laughter rang through the room. Hermione blushed a bit at the reference to the morning, then ducked into the changing room.

Four different robes hung from the hooks. One was red, one silver, one green, and one yellow.

"Great," she muttered. "Okay. So, red and yellow are out. Then we have forest green, and pale silver." She plucked the silver robe from its hook, and turned it over. The back was low, and dipped to just above her hips. There was faint blue embroidery on the robe as decoration, darkening on the edges of the bodice and hem of the skirt. The full skirt fell to the floor, fitting with a pair of silver slippers with light blue embroidery. She didn't want to wear the exact same color as the room, as that seemed very insulting. However, the forest green was much darker than the pale spring green the tea room was decorated in. The silver dress it was.

Hermione stepped into the dress, using a quick spell Lily showed her to put her hair up with magical bobby pins. She slid on the slippers, and exited the changing room, passing Harry on the way out. He winked, and squeezed her hand quickly before going into the small side room.

Hermione smiled wryly at the four in front of her. Lily was dressed in set of pale gold dress robes that made her hair glow. They were the same style as Hermione's, dipping low in the back with full sleeves and cream embroidery. James matched her in set of cream robes, with gold embroidery. Sirius was wearing dark blue, and Remus was in dark silver.

Lily made a twirling motion with her finger, and Hermione twirled. Lily nodded solemnly, looking at James for a second opinion. He nodded as well, looking at Sirius, who shook his head.

"Do I pass inspection?" Hermione asked, a faint tone of annoyance in her voice.

Sirius shook his head again. "You are missing something," he told her, squinting. "I'm not quite sure what it is."

"Does it really matter?" Hermione huffed. "It's just practice."

Lily nodded, patting Hermione's arm sympathetically. "There are rules for everything. I didn't 'pass' because I touched my jewlery the wrong way, or something." Suddenly, she snapped. "That's it. She needs jewelry."

Lily tilted her head, regarding Hermione with her bright green eyes. Looking into them, Hermione's mind ran away. Everyone was wrong. Harry and Lily had the sam eye shape, but not exactly the same color. Lily's eyes were a bit lighter, more grass than evergreen needles. But if she just focused on her eyes, Hermione felt as if she was staring at Harry. Hermione took a deep breath, and was startled by the weight of a delicate necklace on her chest.

Hermione looked away from her best girlfriend, and down at herself. She could feel earrings in her ears, and the necklace. She now had another ring other than her engagement ring, and bracelets.

A set of arms wrapped her in a hug from behind, and Hermione leaned into her husband-to-be. "Are we ready to start?" he asked the others, moving from behind her to her side. She immediently missed his warm weight.

Lily nodded. "Yep. James and I will play Lord and Lady of the Manor. You, Harry, Sirius, and Remus will be our guests." As soon as she finished speaking, and empty fireplace appeared in the tea room.

Lily made them line up at it. "I will receive you. One by one now."

She went to one of the nice chairs with James, the two of them conversing quietly. Hermione made to go for the Floo first, but Sirius stopped her. "No. If there is a couple, the man goes through the Floo first so he can help the lady out. Then any singles go, one male first to help the women out."

Hermione nodded, and gestured for Harry to go first. He stepped into the 'Floo' and stepped out. Lily rose, and walked over to him, smiling.

"Mr. Potter. A delight." She held out a hand, and Harry realized he was supposed to kiss it. He bowed and pressed his lips to the smooth back of her hand.

"Likewise," he murmured. He backed away, when Hermione stepped into the room. He gave her a hand getting down from the fireplace. From there, things went downhill.

"Why the hell do you have your pinky sticking out?"

"Uh... Muggle thing."

"Well, put it back. And tilt your wrist more."

"Back straight."

"It is straight!"

"Straighter."

"Fine."

"What do you think of the weather?"

"I personally like the rain. And you?"

"I hate it."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Oh."

"When did the two of you get engaged?"

"A few days ago."

"Do your parents approve?"

"We are both orphans."

"Pity. I'm sure they would have prevented you from making such a foolish decision."

"Or not."

"But to propose before Easter! What possessed you to make such a choice?"

"Love. And I had a great opportunity."

"Sit up straight, Hermione."

"But I-"

"Straight!"

-sigh-

"Straight!"

-growl-

"Stra-"

"My back is bloody straight!"

"Now it is!"

-snarl-

"Put your pinky down, Harry!"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Don't take more than three sips of tea without taking a bite of cake."

"What?"

"Two sips of tea, one bite of cake. Pat lips with napkin, say something. Repeat. Not that hard."

"Hermione! Right foot over left. Always."

"Stop twitching. Gods Harry, you are such a spaz."

"You're one to talk."

" Be quiet Harry. I can- Hermione! Back straight!"

"If you say that one more-"

"Sit up straight!"

-growl-

"Is it straight now?"

"A little straighter. And lift your chin. There you go."

"Remember, sip, sip, bite, pat, speak, repeat. God job, Hermione!"

"If you have jewlery on your left arm and hand, make sure you reach for anything with that hand. So because you have the most jewlery on your left arm, you will accept anything I give you with that hand."

"No PDA. PDD is acceptable."

"PDD?"

"Possessive Displays of Dominance. Or as I like to call them, Pre-pubescent Displays of Dumbness."

"Still not clear."

"An arm around a waist, a hand on an arm. Things so show off that she is yours. And vice versa, of course."

"Why are those needed?"

"Because Lucius Malfoy will flirt with Hermione. In response, Narcissa and you, Harry, will give PDD. When you complement Narcissa, then Lucius will give PDD, as will Hermione."

"Lucius Malfoy will not flirt with Hermione!"

"Yes he will."

"No he won't!"

"Be quiet, Harry."

"Hermione! Back-"

"Straight. I know."

"Good girl."

"Do you want another cookie, Harry?"

"Don't mind if I-"

-smack-

"Ow!"

"Never take more than four biscuits. Ever. Under threat of death."

"Fine. No need to hit me."

"You learn better with pain."

"Love you too, Mum."

"Of course dearie."

"Right foot over left, Hermione."

"Sorry, Remus. It's just hard to remember. And uncomfortable."

"More tea, Harry?"

"Are you going to smack me again?"

"Of course not."

"Okay."

-slap-

"Oww! You said you wouldn't hit me again!"

"Then you did something stupid."

"Well tell me! Don't abuse my poor hand!"

"You said 'Okay.' You are supposed to say something along the lines of, 'Certainly. Thank you, Lady Evans. Or Malfoy.' Not 'okay' or something like that."

"Fine. May I have more tea, Lady Evans?"

"No."

"What?"

"No."

"I heard you the first time. Why no more tea?"

"Why can I not have more tea, Harry. Manners, remember."

"Thanks James. Lily, why can I not have more tea?"

"Because you already had three cups."

"I'm never going to get any bleedin' where with the lot of you, I swear."

-smack-

"Owww!"

"Don't swear in polite company."

"But I swore before!"

"But I let it slide. No more."

"Bloo-"

-smack-

"Owwww!"

"Be quiet, Harry!"

"Hermione! Back straight!"

"Make sure you put a hand up to your necklace a few times. It draws attention to your chest-"

"Hermione doesn't need to draw anyone's attention to her chest."

"Harry!"

"'Mione!"

"Lily!"

"What?"

"I needed your attention. Now, drawing attention to your chest is important-"

"No it's not."

"Be quiet, Harry. Now it of course makes you more feminine, but it also draws notice to the type and quality of your gems. That is important."

"Okay. Like this?"

"Less planned, Hermione. Watch Lily again."

"Oh, okay. Like this?"

"Perfect."

"I still think she doesn't need anyone's attention on her chest."

"Be quiet, Harry."

"Look at the time," Remus said quietly. "It's time for us to go to lunch."

The friendly, yet sometimes heated banter drew to an end, with everyone changing back into their normal robes. "It might be easier for us to separate after lunch. You and me can go up to the girl dorms to get you ready, Hermione, and the boys can finish educating Harry and get him ready," Lily suggested.

"That's fine," Hermione said tiredly. "I can get away from the back police."

They all laughed, and trooped down to lunch. Harry and Hermione ate lightly, leaving room for biscuits and tea. After lunch, they all walked to the Gryffindor Common Room, the boys and girls going their separate ways to get ready.

Hermione and Lily raced up the stairs, Lily just barely beating Hermione to the top. The night before, Hermione had visited Madam Pomfrey. She was feeling better then usual, and it showed.

Lily sat Hermione down on the bed, and reached into the garment bag she had hung earlier. "Are you ready?" she asked, an evil gleam in her eye.

* * *

**Next chapter is tea with the Malfoys. If anyone reading this knows about English tea customs, PLEASE inform me. I am not British. The closest thing I know is a mid-afternoon coffee in France. Fun times... **

**I think I got carried away with the suspended dialogue. If you don't want anymore segments like that, tell me. If you want more, tell me.**

**Check out my new, soon to be multi chapter H/Hr story. I have no idea where it is going to go. I usually take inspiration from my readers.**

**Thank you for reviewing. It is frightening how addicitted I am to FF. Shivers.**

**Review, go check out my new story. Love to all!**


	28. A Malfoy Tea

**Voila! Chapter 28! A week late! So sorry about that. Real life caught up with me, and I had about 4 or 5 major projects due on the same week. I was running on desperation and caffeine. I had a total of two panic attacks. This week has been the worst week of my life so far. Absolute worst. Never have I been so worried and over-worked. I fear the IB exams... Every one says they are worse!**

**So I made it up to you with a long chapter, and a brand new character! This chapter may seem a bit weird, as it did not follow what I wanted to happen at all. The beginning of the chapter took forever, and then the middle just took off. One of my friends, who shall remain unnamed, other than being called Giant, ('cause she is a freakin' 5 foot 11. Or 6 foot 3. Or 8 feet max.) got a BIG solo this week. She and I were joking around, and she mentioned my FF. That kinda made me freak out. I modeled the new character after her. This girl I'm talking about has the voice of an angel. This chapter is dedicated to her. (You know who you are Giant.:)**

**Enjoy. And tell me if you like Adelynne. (Giant chose the name. Do not blame me. Let Giant enjoy her chapter of fame.)**

**Have fun at tea at Mafoy Manor! (And tell me if you like the DE's)**

* * *

Harry was pacing the floor in front of the girl dorms. "She's going to make us late!" Most of the other Gryffindors were out, either enjoying the slightly warmer weather, or watching a Qudditch scrimmage between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

Sirius groaned, closing his eyes. "Shut up, Potter! You have half an hour. And you're making me dizzy." James and Remus nodded in agreement.

Peter, however, refused to open his eyes. "You're behind, mate. I was dizzy ten minutes ago." Harry was surprised to find himself laughing at the small man's joke. He had found that if he ignored the fact that the teen in front of him had grown up to become the Death Eater that had betrayed his parents and resurrected Voldemort, he could actually like him.

Just then, Lily came down the stairs, Hermione in tow. "Harry!" she exclaimed, holding two necklaces out for James to check. "Hold still while I compare the colors."

While he was holding still for Lily, Harry took the opportunity to stare at his girlfriend. James had owled his mother, who had told him the current decor of Lady Malfoy's tea room. As a result, Hermione was dressed in a gown that was not quite blue, but not quite gray either. She was adorned in diamonds, diamonds in the shape of small flowers, cut diamonds, diamonds set in silver. Harry wondered where she had found all the expensive jewelry.

He himself was dressed in a robe of deep blue, with silver accents. His hair was tamed somewhat, and his old glasses had been Transfigured into a set with silver frames. He had been declared handsome by all the Marauders, and was now being eyed by some of the girls who had remained in the Common Room.

Lily finished comparing, and fastened a delicate necklace of silver, diamonds, and another stone Harry didn't recognize around Hermione's neck. "There," she pronounced. "Perfect. What do you think, Harry?"

Harry ran his eyes over his fiancee's form. "Lovely. Where did you get all the diamonds, Lily?"

Lily smirked a bit, running an eye over Hermione to make sure she had not missed any out of place detail. "James' mum. She sent them over when we explained the situation."

The necklace she had placed around Hermione's slender neck was large, spreading out in a series of swirls and flourishes decorated with diamonds and some kind of gray-blue stone. It covered almost all the skin exposed by the dress, which was long and flowing. A subtle spell made Hermione seem heavier than she normally looked, made her look less starved. Her hair was in long ringlets, bound into a elaborate knot made of braids and curls. The robe's long sleeves obscured a set of bracelets, which were exposed when Hermione reached a hand up to tuck an artfully placed curl behind her ear.

She looked beautiful.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her, giving her his arm. "I don't want to be late."

She nodded. "Yep. But I feel like we're dressed too formally. I feel like we are going to a cocktail party for wizards, or something."

Harry laughed. "Yeah. But we have to trust our advisers." He turned to where James and Sirius were lounging around. "Did you guys prank us?"

Sirius put on a wounded expression. "Us? Prank you? Never!"

James smacked Sirius in the back of his head. "You guys look fine. Stop complaining and get a move on." He pointed at the portrait hole, looking as bored as he could. "Leave here, foul tea goers."

They all laughed, and the couple exited the warm common room for the chilly halls. Even if the days were warming up, it was still chilly out. The walk to Dumbledore's office was quick, but Harry ended up casting a quick Disillusionment to quell the stares. The gargoyle opened with a quick, "Lemon Drops," and they ascended the twirling stairs.

"Mr. Potter! Miss Granger! Come in, come in. Are ready to go?" Dumbledore was seated at his desk, as always, sucking on a lemon drop. "The Floo Powder is on the mantle. Just go ahead and step on through." Harry canceled the spell, and stepped up to the fireplace.

Harry pecked Hermione on the cheek, giving her a slight grin. "See you in Hell," he quipped, throwing the green powder on the flames. "Malfoy Manor!"

Hermione smiled. "See you in Hell," she murmured. Grabbing the powder, she threw it into the flames, and stepped in. "Malfoy Manor."

The rush of green flames spun around her, and she saw multiple houses. She saw her destination, and put one foot forward to intercept. Suddenly she was spat out into a beautiful parlor, and Harry was holding her hand and helping her down from the Floo. James had been right, as the parlor was decorated in cream and dark blue, with silver accents.

In front of her was Narcissa Malfoy, twenty years younger. With a start, Hermione realized that the girl in front of her was a true beauty. Sapphire eyes in a milk white face, framed with waves of molten gold. She was wearing a dress of deepest sapphire, and had so many jewels Hermione didn't even know where to begin counting.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor, Miss Granger. Please, take a seat. We were just wondering where you where!" This Narcissa was all light and happiness, reveling in her position of the lady of the manor. Her voice was high and sweet, and Hermione again wondered at the life that this girl had led that would end with her betrayal of Voldemort to save her son.

"I would be delighted to, Lady Malfoy." Harry had taken her arm, and he led her over to the seats by the tea service. The bodies lounging in the parlor were similar, but eerily so. Lucius was there, a head of white-gold and a satisfied smirk. With a start, Harry and Hermione both realized that the black haired young woman at his side was Bellatrix Black, soon to be Lestrange. She was seated by her fiancee, and his brother. With Narcissa seated, there were two seats open, and Harry and Hermione took those, with Hermione to the right of Narcissa, and Harry to the left of Rodolphus.

Belatedly, Hermione realized there was the faint sound of a harp playing, and turned to locate the source. What she saw chilled her to the bone. A beautiful girl, probably barely sixteen, was sitting on a cushion, playing a harp. She looked Italian, with long black hair held out of her face by a set of silver clips. She was wearing a silver dress, and had a collar around her neck, the design of which matched the bracelet Bellatrix was wearing on her right wrist. The girl's bronze skin seemed out of place in the room full of milk white beauties, and her luxurious dark hair seemed glow from the color from around her. She looked up and her eyes met Hermione's, hazel meeting brown. They looked utterly defeated, and Hermione saw a pain reflected there that she knew all too well. But her head was high and her back was straight. She had not yet given up.

"I see you've found my pet," Bellatrix drawled, twining herself around Rodolpus, laughing high and clear. "A gift from..." Her voice trailed off. "You'll know soon enough. I'm Bellatrix Black." A slim white hand was extended toward Hermione, who took it with a forced smile. Bella smiled brightly, eyes shining, red lips parted to show little white teeth.

"Hermione Granger," she replied. "Although I'm sure you already knew that." Bella laughed again, and the feeling of her cold little hand made Hermione want to run and scream or jerk it out of her grasp.

Bella nodded. "That I did. And who is this delectable man next to you?" she purred. Rodolpus smiled as well, and wrapped his arm around Bellatrix's waist.

Harry stiffened. "My name is Harry Potter. Pleasure to meet you." Bella laughed again, throwing her long hair back.

"Bellatrix Black. Soon to be Bellatrix Lestrange. But please, both of you, call me Bella." She leaned back, taking the arm of her fiancee. "This is my betrothed, Rodolphus Lestrange, and his brother, Rabastan."

Both men took Hermione's extended hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "An absolute delight," Rabastan murmured, looking up at Hermione through long black lashes. "A delight indeed."

Hermione repressed a shiver, not liking the way Rabastan looked at her. "Likewise," she replied, as Rodolpus did the same thing. Harry put an arm around her, and Hermione leaned into his warmth gratefully.

Lucius stood, walking over to Harry and Hermione. "Welcome to my ancestral home. I am Lord Lucius Malfoy, and you have already met my lovely wife, Narcissa. It is a pleasure to have you in our home."

Narcissa had gone to stand by him, and as they smiled down at Hermione, she could see how they would change through the years until they were the people who had stood by and watched as she was Cruico'd. Their gold hair created halos around their pale, faces, and Hermione could remember the exact same sight one afternoon about a week after she had been captured.

Once they had resumed their seats, Narcissa snapped her fingers and a small house elf appeared. "What can Dobby to for yous, Mistress?"

He was a sad sight. His fingers were bandaged, and his tea towel was in a ragged shape. The large bat ears that defined his species were hanging low, and he was cringing away from Lucius' silver tipped cane.

"Tea. Now. The Goblin wrought silver set. Quickly!" Dobby winked away with a small crack, and returned with a beautiful silver set that was steaming lightly. He set it on the small table, and bowed, straightening to slowly to escape the blow Lucius aimed at his head.

Narcissa smiled at her audience. "We've had to train him. He is too hyper for company usually, but this is such a personal gathering." She turned to Hermione, and whispered, "Bella is my sister. And Rodolpus and Rastaban are dear friends. We hope to be able to accept you into our small circle soon."

She moved away, and walked over to her sister. "Do you think your little slave would be able to set out the tea?" A when a side long glace over to Hermione did not reveal any reaction, Bella nodded.

"Of course, sister dear. Adelynne!" The soft harp playing stopped, and the girl on the cushions stood up, putting her harp down. She was tall, and the curtain of black hair fell to her waist. Even though she was, to all appearances, a slave, she held her head high, glaring at her captor down a rather strong nose. With a gasp that she could not- would not- contain, Hermione saw that the bracelets on her bony wrists had thin chains that went under the cushions. Bellatrix said something, and the chains vanished.

She walked toward the group, wincing when she passed by Rodolpus, who groped her, and his brother, who pinched her bum. But she said nothing, just kept on walking until she reached the tea set. With quick, efficient movements, she poured the tea, giving one cup to each person, ending with Hermione.

The girl's (Adelynne? Was that her name?) fingers brushed Hermione's when she was giving the cup to her. Their eyes met again, and Hermione could feel the pain and suffering the poor girl was probably going through everyday at the mercy of Bellatrix Lestrange- no, Bella Black. Hermione gave the girl a small smile, squeezing her brown fingers for a quick moment before accepting the cup.

When she had returned to the cushion, resuming her playing, Hermione got up the courage to ask Bellatrix about the girl. "Who is she?"

Bella's eyes narrowed. "What is it you, dearest?" she pouted, eyelashes fluttering.

Hermione shrugged. "I was curious. A woman of your station having a maidservant is not unusual, at least where I am from. But a slave? I had thought Wizarding England had abolished that practice."

Narcissa looked at her husband, who nodded slightly. "Well, Hermione, Harry. That is what we have really asked you to come here for. How do you feel about, well, the lower sort?"

Harry's strong voice had softened. "An example? Do you mean Muggleborns, Muggleborns and Halfbloods, or Muggleborns, Halfbloods, and other races?"

Rodolpus gave a nasty grin. "All. Like the piece of filth in the corner. Muggleborn and a damn Italian as well. There is only one thing she's good for."

Rabastan nodded. "That and her voice is the only reason we keep her around."

Bella giggled. "Her voice. I do love it so. When she screams..." She was cut off by a glare from her husband to be. She quickly diverted the attention from her last statement. "In fact, let's hear it now. Girl!"

Without stopping her harp, the girl raised her face. "Yes?" Her voice was soft, and higher than Hermione would have expected.

"Sing!" she commanded, then turned to her guests. "Her name is Adelynne. Muggleborn Italian. The Dark Lord gave her to me as a reward for... for something," she finished.

Hermione raised one eyebrow, feeling herself slip into her role. "The Dark Lord?"

Narcissa nodded. "You will see. But for now, enjoy."

Adelynne had started to started to sing, and Hermione was stunned into silence.

The girl's voice was high and sweet, soaring up into the heavens. She was still playing the harp, as an accompaniment. The song was in Italian, so Hermione could not understand it. However, the feeling in it touched her heart. It spoke of longing, of a longing to escape, to be free once more.

All too soon, the sweet sound ceased, and Bella clapped sarcasticly. "Very good, my sweet," she crooned. "Very good. Maybe I'll let your Master visit you later, with some food. Sing, and play softly while we talk."

Narcissa turned toward Hermione, eyes bright with excitement. "How long have you been here, in Britain?"

"Well," Hermione started, remembering the story they had spread. "I was born here, and my parents are from here. But we moved to Russia. Things with the magical community are doing very bad right now. There are riots, and well-" she turned her face into Harry's robes, feeling a few tears leak out anyway. The story they were telling was not real, but she really missed her parents.

Harry interrupted her. "Hermione doesn't like to talk about that. Muggles murdered her family. She inherited a large amount of money, enough to move back to England, and start again here. I didn't want to be without her. She is my life. So I packed up and moved here."

Rodolpus' entire face darkened. "My sincerest apologies. Forgive me for asking, but what happened to the Muggles?"

Harry answered for her again. "Nothing. It is against the law to prosecute Muggles for killing wizards, anywhere. They escaped and my fiancee and I have to live with that every day. Hermione's mum and dad were like parents to me. I didn't agree with my parent's way of thinking... and well, they supported me."

Narcissa and her husband shared another glance, then Lucius took over the conversation. "We invited you here today for another reason, then just getting to meet you. Have you heard any whispers about a Lord Voldemort?"

Hermione looked up from Harry's chest, meeting his eyes. "Maybe," she said, keeping her voice controlled. "What is it to you?"

Lucius smiled, with an eery beauty that sent shivers down Hermione's spine. "He is the leader of the future. He can rescue the purebloods that are being contaminated my the evils of those of lesser blood. Muggles and Mudbloods. His view of the world is how it should be."

Narcissa nodded eagerly. "He can help you avenge your parents, Hermione. He is so strong, so powerful, so good. He wants to create a new era, with the Muggles and Mudbloods as slaves, the Halfbloods as servants, and the Purebloods as the nobility. He would be the King, and we his faithful servants of righteousness. We can control everything, with Lord Voldemort's direction!" Narcissa was excited, eyes bright and she was breathing fast, a picture of perfect beauty. "We can repress that which is wrong, and uphold that which is right!"

At this point, Harry and Hermione were both certain Tom Riddle was listening in on the conversation. They were equally certain that they would be meeting him soon. They had agreed to act interested in taking the Dark Mark, and to try and find the Horcrux as soon as they could.

Hermione sat up straighter, looking at Bellatrix. "Did he give you the girl?" she asked, gesturing the the child who was still playing and singing softly.

Bella nodded, with a evil smile. "Yes. She was my reward for good service. Usually, she would have been killed along with her Muggle family. However, her mother told the Dark Lord she had been trained as a singer, in an attempt to save her. The Dark Lord ordered her to sing, and she did. He enjoyed it, so when it was time for me to be rewarded, he asked me if I wanted her for my pet. I accepted, of course."

Hermione paused, hesitating, then said, "Does he reward everyone?"

Rodolphus laughed. "As long as you please him. His rules are simple: please him, and you are rewarded. Disgrace him, or anger him, and you are punished. It is easy enough."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Does this Lord Voldemort order you to bow at his feet?" he asked scathingly. "I would not bow just anyone. Is there something that makes him special?

The group looked shocked, but Rastaban spoke up. "Please do not insult our Lord in our presence. But yes, he is special. He is the descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself."

The couple looked at each other, and Harry nodded at the group. "We would like to meet him for ourselves, to hear what he has to say."

Narcissa giggled, and clapped her hands together. "This is perfect! He is staying here today, waiting to meet you. Would you like to be taken to him?"

Hermione looked at Harry, who subtlety nodded. "I think only Harry should go. I trust his judgment, and I do not feel so well right now. Could you tell me where the water closet is?"

Narcissa nodded, looking disappointed. "Of course that would be fine. We heard that you were ill. Is it serious?"

Hermione sighed. "Yes. I was injured in the attack and it has yet to heal. They had an ancient magical artifact, that they probably stole from somebody. I was stabbed with the knife. It is resistant to magical healing, but soon we are going to attempt a healing ritual. Hopefully that will work. But in the mean time, I am very weak and am prone to fainting and such."

Bella gasped. "You poor dear. I'll have the girl go with you, to show you the way and to make sure you don't hurt your self. The men can take Harry to the Dark Lord."

Hermione smiled gratefully at Bella, cursing her on the inside. How on earth was she supposed to find the diary with a watcher? But maybe she could turn this to her advantage. "Thank you, Bella."

"You! Girl! Stop playing and show Miss Granger to the blue bathing room. Stay with her and make sure she does not weaken," Bella snapped, patting Hermione's hand as she stood. "Don't worry. She won't touch you unless you really need her to."

"Thank you," Hermione murmured. "I'll make good use of her."

Together, the slave girl and Hermione left the tea room, Hermione trailing after the tall, bronze-skinned girl. She was led down several halls, and up one flight of stairs. The entire time, the two girls did not talk, until finally, Hermione broke the silence.

"What is your name?" Hermione asked softly.

"Adelynne Iamperrii. Why do you care?" The girl hissed. "Don't you think that I am inferior to you? I am not a 'filthy mudblood?'"

Hermione was taken aback, then realized her mistake. "Can Bellatrix hear what you say? Or can she order you to tell your secrets?"

Adelynne shook her head. "No. The collar will only strangle me if I am more than one hundred feet from her, or if she orders it to strangle me."

Hermione sighed in relief. "That's good. Do you know anything about Occulomency or Legilimency?"

The girl shook her head, then paused. "I heard the Dark Lord speak of it. He said he could look into my mind and see my deepest secrets."

Hermione nodded. "Yes. That is why I have to be careful about this. You hate Bellatrix, do you not?"

Adelynne's eyes widened in disbelief. "You are sane, are you not?"

Hermione smiled wryly. "I was her prisoner for two months, once upon a time. My fiancee, Harry, and I, are not really Death Eater sympathizers. I am a muggleborn, like you. And Harry is half blood." Adelynne's eyes narrowed.

"Who is Madonna?" she asked, obviously thinking this a question only someone who had lived as a muggle teenager could answer.

Hermione laughed, and shook her head. "Famous muggle singer. For some reason, she enjoys dressing in rags and wearing large crosses while shocking the world."

"So you are telling the truth about being muggleborn at least. But being Bellatrix's prisoner? She seems to love you." Adelynne was not buying it.

"How much to you know about the dimensional magics?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing. I was going to school in Italy for exactly one year before I was captured over summer break," she responded.

Hermione felt like smacking her face. "We've spent too much time already. You'll have to believe me for now. I want to help you. I can get you to people who would be more than happy to help you. I just need your help to find one thing. It is a diary, made of leather. Lucius probably keeps it in a place of great safety. I need that diary."

Adelynne sighed. "I have a feeling that you are telling the truth. So I am going to help you. The diary is in Lucius' study. Which is right next to the room Voldemort is in right now. I can get it for you, because my collar allows me to bypass the wards. But I cannot leave here. The slave collar will kill me."

Hermione nodded. "I know. But I also know those are illegal, and therefore there is a spell to counter to collar. A strong freezing charm on the metal, than a rapid heat charm can kill the spells, and Harry and I have a place that will give us the tools needed to get that off you."

Adelynne almost melted in relief. "Good Lord. Thank you. Thank you!" She reached out impulsively and hugged Hermione, dwarfing the smaller girl.

Hermione patted her back, and comforted her for a while. "Adelynne. I need that diary. Whatever you do, do not right in it, or open it. It has a soul fragment in it that will try and suck out your own soul. Be careful."

Hermione entered the bathroom, wetting her hands and face while waiting for the slave girl. She saw so much of herself reflected in the bronze skinned beauty. But at least during her months as a guest in Malfoy Manor, she had not been raped. Adelynne had been through so much. Too much for a girl of only sixteen.

Taking an opportunity to look around the bathroom, Hermione shook her head in disgust. The Malfoy's might be ridiculously wealthy, but the blue bathroom took up three rooms. Three. One was the sink, some couches, and a large vanity. The others were a toilet, and a sunken bath, like the one for the Prefects at Hogwarts.

After about ten minutes, Adelynne came back with a leather diary wrapped in a piece of cloth. "I got it. Is this the one you were looking for?"

Hermione took the cloth, and closely examined the diary. It had been years since she had seen it last, but she remembered every detail. It was the Horcrux, all right. "Great job. Thank you so much. Now I have a plan for you. It might be a bit painful, but it will work. Are you willing to try?"

It only took three minutes to outline the plan to the girl, and they were heading back to the tea room. When they arrived, Bella had just started to rise.

"There you are. I was just going to find you," she said, smiling. "The girl didn't bother you, did she?"

Hermione sniffed in Adelynne's direction. "No. She was actually a help as unbelievable as that sounds. I almost fainted, and she stopped me from hitting my head."

Narcissa shook her head. "It is an absolute shame what you have been through, Hermione. An absolute shame."

Bella nodded in agreement with her sister. "The Dark Lord will let you take your revenge He will give you power beyond your wildest dreams."

Hermione allowed herself to sigh, and her eyes to grow misty. "I wish for the day I will see those who took the lives of my family lie prostate at my feet. I long for the day I will be allowed to end their miserable lives."

Bella's head bobbed up and down eagerly. "Lord Voldemort will do this for you. You only have to ask it of him and it will be done."

Just then, the men came back in the tea room. Harry looked pensive, brow furrowed like it did when he was deep in thought. "Are you ready to leave, my darling?" he asked her, giving her his hand to assist her as she rose from the couch.

"Yes, love. Did you reach a conclusion?" she asked quietly, knowing the others in the room could hear. "What was this Lord Voldemort like?"

Harry pulled her by the hand to the fireplace. "We will discuss it later." He then turned to their hosts. "We thank you graciously for allowing us this delightful opportunity. Many thanks for the wonderful tea and thought provoking conversation," he said, bowing slightly.

Narcissa inclined her head gracefully. "You are very welcome. Thank you for entering our house and gracing it with your youthful energy and eagerness."

Hermione did the same, nodding to the rest of the guests. "You are welcome. Farewell, and I suspect we will be in contact soon."

Another round of thanks and accepting thanks followed, and Harry and Hermione stepped into the fireplace. "Headmaster Dumbledore's Office!" Hermione said clearly, looking at Adelynne as the girl played her harp. If she followed the given instructions, she would be safe. They would be waiting for her.

* * *

**What did you think? Was it semi-believable? Did you like it? Giant has been bugging me to put this up since Thursday, looking over my shoulder as I typed this G-D'd thing, and she thinks it is great. Tell me if you agree.**

**What did you think of Adelynne? And Hermione's made up story? In case you didn't get it, Hermione and Harry were acting. They had to be in perfect control. I think it mentioned somewhere in the books that Bellatrix knows Legilimency. **

**Three questions:**

**Question1: Not really important, but in my other WIP, a reviewer said that my writing seems to reflect an age far beyond my years. I want to ask: How old do you think I am? And how old does my writing make you think I am? I will not be confirming any body. I just want to have a laugh or two. **

**Question2: Do you want me to continue this in to Harry and Hermione returning, extending this several more chapters, end it, or do a sequel? Note that if I do a sequel, this story will only have about 8-12 more chapters, or less, and that the sequel will be a long time in coming. **

**Question3: Is it just me, or did FF take away the spell check? This drives me nutso. I am horrible at spelling. Siriously. And I usually upload blank doc's at the library and write on those on the site. (weird, I know. But this means not formatting issues.) So please tell me if you spot any spelling mistakes, and I apologize for not catching them.**

**Check out my profile! I updated it finally! And I am vacationing this summer, in France. All summer. I'll be with my amazing family, so I might not have time to write so much. If so, I will inform you.**

**Review!**


	29. Glamours and Plans

**Okay, I get it. If don't update because I'm busy, you guys won't review when I do update. Understood.**

**Here is Chapter 29, right on time. It shows some of the aftermath of the trip to Malfoy Manor, and some of the actions Harry and Hermione will take to right the wrongs they saw there. I was planning for a 'action' battle scene here, but it got pushed to the next chapter. Prepare your self. **

**Enjoy. Read, and review. Love to all!**

* * *

As she stepped out of the emerald flames and into Professor Dumbledore's office, Hermione felt herself shed the awful persona she had adopted in Malfoy Manor. Just remembering the look on Adelynne's face made her start to cry, leaning into the warm comfort of Harry at her side.

"It was horrible. That poor girl is a slave there. She has to serve Bellatrix. Harry, we have to help her," Hermione sobbed. "I told her we could help her." She could feel the hard edge of the diary pushing into her skin, and just the thought of the Horcrux touching her was making her sick.

Harry just tightened his arms around her. "It will be okay, 'Mione," he whispered. Then, turning to the Headmaster, he frowned. "It has been a rather trying afternoon tea for all of us. I'm going to take Hermione to out rooms now."

Dumbledore just nodded sagely. "Of course. We can discuss this tomorrow. Will you come to my office at six?"

Harry looked down at Hermione, and shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. We will be very busy for the next week or so. We need to be excused from class."

Dumbledore straightened. "What for?"

Hermione looked up at him, red rimmed eyes glaring. "Because we have to. Unless you want to end up standing by and leaving it to a teenaged boy and his friends to save the world from a mad despot."

Dumbledore was no longer startled by Hermione's animosity toward him. "Very well. When will you leave and when will you be back?"

Harry answered this time, still holding Hermione. "We will leave Monday morning. And we will return on the following Wednesday if all goes well."

At this, Dumbledore's brow furrowed and the twinkle in his eye dimmed a bit. "If all goes well?"

"If we are not injured, if we find everything we need to, if we succeed with our mission," Harry said, blasé.

"Ah. Fine then. You may leave on Monday," Dumbledore responded.

Harry and Hermione left, Hermione giving an irritated sigh at the way Dumbledore felt he had to control everything. She had stopped crying, but as soon as they were back in their rooms she broke down again. She ripped out the diary, throwing it on the table.

"Harry. You should have seen her face when I told her who I really was. She looked like this was the first hope she had seen in years." Hermione sobbed on to his chest. "I told her that we would come back for her."

Harry looked at his fiancee, aghast. "Hermione! How are we going to get her out of Malfoy Manor? The protections on that place are almost as good as the ones on Hogwarts!"

Hermione shook her head, cheering up enough to grin. "I spotted a hole in the wards. If she waits down by the kitchens, with the house elves, then we could manipulate her magical signature to transport her into the Room of Requirement."

Harry sighed. "I want to rescue her as much as you do, Hermione. But what if we are seen?"

"Glamours," Hermione suggested. "That way, if they do see us, they will not know who we are."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "They would have to be really strong glamours though. We would have to be constantly refueling them."

Hermione shook her head. "I was working on a project before we left on the Horcrux hunt. Objects that hold glamors in place. A headband, or a necklace would be able to do it. Slip it on, and you are an entirely different person. If you could get me a pair of silver necklaces, then I could carve the runes in them and enchant them."

"Good idea," Harry said enthusiastically. "That way we could look like different people while we look for the Horcruxes this week!"

At the mention of the word, both of them found themselves looking at the seemingly innocent black diary on the small coffee table.

Hermione yawned. "I could do it fairly quickly. If we have a necklace with an interchangeable pendant, I could set a different glamour for each one, and power stones for others."

Harry nodded slowly. "It is only about five now. I could run over to Hogsmeade and grab some necklaces and pendants. Just tell me what you need."

Hermione smiled. "Let me think about it a bit first. Let's get out of these clothes and then I can write down what I want."

They both showered, and redressed in more comfortable clothes, Harry picking up the diary and depositing it in his bedside table, which Hermione warded with her best charms. Hermione sat down with some parchment, sketching out what she wanted.

"The necklace cannot be too slim. The pendents have to have plenty of metal on them, so I can carve the runes. And the stones must be either diamonds or another kind of clear stone. When we fill them with our power they will change color."

"Alright," Harry said, standing up with the parchment in hand. "I'll get this and the stuff we need for the ritual tomorrow. And whatever we can use from Hogsmeade for our trip Monday." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and left to inform Professor McGonagall where he was going.

As soon as he left, Hermione collapsed on the sofa. It seemed impossible that they had only been at Malfoy Manor for a such a short time. It had seemed like a lifetime to her. Multiple lifetimes.

She kept seeing Adelynne's face. Hearing her sweet voice. Feeling the brush of her warm fingers. Her mind started thinking about the people she had known in the Wizarding world, searching for a face that had some of the features of the person she had met. It was habit by now, placing her friends with their parents. However, she could not remember anyone who looked like Adelynne. The only people with dark skin in the years around her were black, not Italian. There was Blaise Zabini, but his mother had been a famous model. And Dean Thomas, who had said that his mother was a muggle. And Lee Jordan, but she had met his parents, and neither of them looked like the slave girl she was trying to rescue.

With a start, Hermione realized that she would not have known any of Adelynne's descendants. Adelynne had probably died before her twentieth birthday. It was a miracle that she had survived so long at the mercy of Bellatrix Lestrange.

That revelation just strengthened her resolve to help Adelynne. She would make sure that, if the child wanted to, she could have children later on in life.

A knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts, forcing Hermione to rise and answer the person seeking entrance. She put her eye to the peep hole, only to be confronted with one of Sirius' big gray eyes.

"Open up, Hermione! We want to know how it went!" Sirius cried, and Hermione sighed. She did not feel like talking to anyone right now. No one. At all.

But with another sigh, she opened the door so that the Marauders plus Lily could enter. Standing aside, she let them stampede into the room, closing the door behind them as they flopped on the couches and chairs in the sitting room.

Lily, however, stayed by her friend, looking closely at the girl she had come to love. "Hermione. Are you okay?"

Hermione wiped her eyes, groaning. "I'm getting really tried of everyone asking me that."

Lily smiled softly. "Sorry, then. But how did the tea go?"

Hermione groaned, and sank into an available chair. "Horribly. If I ever have to see Bella again, it would be far too soon."

Sirius looked up sharply. "Bella?" he asked, a dangerous tone to his voice. "She only lets friends and family call her that."

Hermione shrugged hopelessly. "Then I guess I'm a friend. Or something. I-" Lily just enveloped her in a hug, and Hermione sank into the comforting warmth. "It was terrible. They were spouting propaganda at every turn, and there was a girl there..." She let her voice trail off.

"A girl? What kind of girl?" James asked.

Hermione looked up at him, reminded again at how much he looked like Harry. "A slave girl. Bellatrix was 'rewarded' by her master in the form of slave."

Remus growled, and Lily gasped. "No!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Hermione once more. "How old was she?"

"Sixteen," Hermione answered. "I have no idea how long Bellatrix has 'owned' her."

Sirius buried his head in his hands. "That is not good. Do you know how sadistic Bellatrix is? How insane she is? Insanity runs in my family. Insanity runs in the Rosier family. Bella's mum is nuts. Her dad is worse. She is-"

Hermione laughed bitterly. "You think she's insane now? Wait 'til she spends almost fourteen years in Azkaban. Then she will be truly insane. And sadistic? After she spends years learning to refine her torture, then she is sadistic. Especially when she has a grudge against you. Because everyone knows that Mudbloods are lower than blood traitors," she said. Remus and Lily winced at the sarcasm in her voice.

The room looked at her in shock. She had never really talked about the months she had spent as a prisoner at Malfoy Manor. They knew it haunted her nightmares, and had been the cause of her horrible health at the beginning of the year, but that was all.

Sirius was staring at Hermione. "Sorry, Hermione. It is strange for me, ya know, 'cause I used to play with her when I was younger."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. Sorry, Sirius. It is just-"

"Honey! I'm home!" Harry called, stepping into the little room. "Her-" He stopped, seeing everyone in the room. "Oh. Hi everyone."

Remus sighed in relief. If anyone could make Hermione happy, it was Harry. "Hey, Harry. What's that?"

Harry had enlarged the packages he had gotten from both Hogsmeade and London. "What we need for the rescue mission for tomorrow. And for the ritual."

He handed the necklaces to Hermione, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Here you are, love. Do you need anything else?"

Hermione looked down at the precious metals and jewels she had in her lap. "No. This will be fine. Thank you, Harry." She rose, walking into the bedroom she shared with Harry, not looking over her shoulder.

"She really needs to get to work on those," Harry explained. "We need them for tomorrow night."

Sirius frowned. "I though the ritual was going to happen tomorrow night," he replied.

Harry nodded. "It was. But we are going to do it after we get Adelynne out. Did Hermione tell you about her?"

The room nodded, Remus speaking up. "That was why she was so upset."

A faint voice from the bedroom called, "I can hear you!" Hermione was clearly irritated.

Lily grinned at the boys. "That's my Hermione for you. I'm going to go see if she needs any help," she said, rising and entering the bedroom.

Six hours later, Hermione and Lily emerged from the room, both girls exhausted. "We're through," Hermione said, collapsing in a chair. "Someone please get me something to eat."

Remus was still really surprised to hear Hermione ask for food. He just about flew out of his chair to go to the kitchens and get food for the two girls.

When he returned with sandwiches, the girls attacked them hungrily. "Thanks, Moony," Hermione said, swallowing quickly. "We needed that."

As soon as they were finished, the boys eagerly demanded an explanation. Hermione smiled softly, and took out three necklaces and a variety of pendents.

"As you see, Lily and I carved the runes onto the necklaces, which has them acting as a conductor for the magic in the pendent. These three," she said, gesturing towards three clear stones on silver clasps, "are the power receptors. If you are wearing these on the necklaces, then they would give you an extra boost so to speak. However, these other ones," the seven stones of other colors were indicated, "Will give us a disguise. With the special containment runes we used, you can have two pendents on at a time."

James whistled softly. "Whoa. Those are pretty awesome."

Hermione blushed with the praise. "Thank you. But thank Lily too. She was the one who thought of using the containment rune."

After another round of congratulations, Hermione picked up the three clear stones. "Who is ready to charge these?"

After getting a few blank looks, Hermione explained, a slight grin on her face. "To actually put power in these, one or two people have to touch their wands to the stones while saying the incantation. They will feel a sharp tug, or pull, and they will have put magic in the stone that can be called forth at will. The stone will change color during this."

Lily and James shared a look, then clasped hands and volunteered. "We are not doing anything draining tomorrow," James explained. "That way you don't have to exhaust yourself before tomorrow."

Sirius clapped James on the back, and declared that he would do the next one. "It would be good for me, mate."

Remus held out his hand for one of the clear stones. "Might as well. Me being a werewolf won't have any effect on it, will it?"

Hermione shook her head. "Nope. All you have to do is touch your wand to the stone and say, _Nominclauis grafoitous._ Try and focus on your power. It will only take the amount need to fill the stone.

One by one, wands were put to the pendents and incantations uttered. By the time they finished, everyone was tired and munching on sandwiches.

Lily and James' stone had turned into a curious mixture of purple and green, that in some lights even looked blue. Sirius' was gray, and the one Remus had filled was a honey color, similar to his eyes.

Hermione fed everyone tea, and made sure to tell them that they could do any magic until twelve hours had passed. She had to work on the other stones, then glamour ones. Everyone opted to wait in the sitting room with her while she made them, all too tired to walk back through the Common Room and up the stairs yet.

Hermione chose one of the pendents, a silver one with a green stone. She smirked, and closed her eyes, putting her wand to the stone. "Jubilate omus terra," she whispered. Hermione then took one of the runic necklaces and slid the finished pendent on it. She then slipped the necklace on herself, shocking her audience as she suddenly went from a short, curly, brunette to a tall, straight haired blonde.

She looked like a mixture of Fleur Delacour and Narcissa Malfoy, tall and slender with blonde hair to her waist. Light brown eyes slightly hidden by long bangs made her give an impression vaguely like that of a puppy.

"Did it work?" Hermione asked, voice much higher than it normally was. "Do I look different?"

Remus chuckled weakly. "Yeah. Real different."

Sirius was looking at her in shock. "Gods, Hermione. You look really hot."

Hermione's glamour grinned, looking utterly adorable. "Thanks. This is my 'make men melt' look. I think I will do a child, and old woman, and one other."

Harry nodded. "That is a good idea. What about for mine?"

Hermione shrugged. "I want to make a child one, and maybe a middle aged one. What do you think?"

He nodded. "I can handle that. Do I get a 'make women melt' look?" he asked teasingly.

"You do that already, love," she responded, tone softening.

He leaned across the table and kissed her, then withdrew reluctantly as to let her work. In an hour, she had all of the pendents done, handing three to Harry and keeping four for herself. "I'm better at acting than you are, dear," she explained. "As long as you forget the disaster at the beginning of sixth year and remember the end of fifth."

Harry laughed. "You were brilliant at the end of fifth. I really had no clue what happened at Borgin's and Burke's," he drawled.

She shook her head. "Whatever." Instead of giving another reply, she stood up and clasped the child pendent around her neck.

"How do I look now?" she asked, voice sweet and eyes wide. She looked to be about five or six, with brown hair in pigtails and a little blue dress on. She had big baby blues, and was rocking back on the heels of her Mary Janes. "Do I look innocent?"

Lily's eyes were very soft and looked suspiciously wet when she replied. "You look adorable. Completely believable."

The next guise worked as well, a small old lady appearing in front of the group. White hair, hazel eyes, and a round body made her seem harmless and friendly.

However, Hermione begged off on the last pendent, a small blue gem. She instead had Harry try on his necklace and take the forms she had chosen for him.

The child guise was the form of a nine or ten year old, and similar enough to her own that they could pass for brother and sister. The middle aged man was funny for the whole group, a sightly balding ginger with a small paunch and glasses.

The last guise was obviously a warrior. He stood at over six feet tall, with well defined if not bulging muscles. The form had dark hair, short and out of the way. He had gray eyes, and a sharp beak of a nose, with a scar across half of his face. He wore simple clothes, with fabrics that made keeping comfortable in the heat and cold easy and with a cut that made excessive movement possible. He looked to be in his middle twenties, and was fearsome.

While the rest of their friends were looking at Harry, Hermione pulled the last pendent into place. She slowly walked to his side, taking in the awed looks of her friends. She was his companion, bobbed dark hair and clear gray eyes. She was small and slight, a body made for ducking and weaving, close fighting. Her clothes were made of the same material, if with a more feminine cut. The only things they were lacking were the weapons that would have made the illusion of fierce warriors complete.

"What do you think?" she asked, worried at their expressions. "Good enough to infiltrate Malfoy Manor and rescue a slave?"

James and Sirius nodded at the same time.

"Totally," they said together. "That look could so kick Voldiebutt arse," James continued. "Are you sure you can't kill him when you go after Bellatrix and the Malfoys?"

Harry and Hermione, still in their different forms, responded at the same time. "Yes."

Harry finished the explanation. "He has anchors, tying him to the earth. If we kill him in his mortal body first, then we risk him moving the anchors to different places, where we won't be able to find them."

"And that would make all our knowledge about the future completely irrelevant," Hermione concluded. "However, on the good news side, we got one of the soul anchors today. We can destroy it soon."

"Why not now?" Lily asked. "Wouldn't it be better to do it now?"

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "But we don't have the proper tools. Remember the basilisk I killed in my second year?"

Lily nodded, the brightened. "The venom! It is one of the strongest things in the Wizarding World! That could destroy the soul anchor, couldn't it?"

Hermione grinned, but the effect was different due to her much scarier glamour. "Right on point, Lily. The first time around, we used the sword of Gryffindor, because it had imbued the venom from the basilisk Harry killed with it."

"And we used the fangs of the dead basilisk to kill another one," Harry added. "That was the one and only stroke of genius on Ron's part."

Hermione yawned suddenly, then sat down. "I guess it's time for bed now," she said ruefully. "We all used a lot of power on these necklaces."

Remus groaned. "A lot? A lot? More like all the power that was in our bodies."

Sirius nodded, puppy dog eyes in place. "Can we crash on your couch tonight? Please Fang? Plllleeeeeeaaaassse?"

Lily smacked him on the back of his head, then rubbed her hand. "His head is thicker than steel," she muttered. Then louder, she admonished Sirius. "We can't stay here. Harry and Hermione might lose their room."

"It's not like they have to stay here," he grumbled. "How old are you guys anyway?"

Harry, who had canceled the glamour, shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm eighteen and a half, I think. I'm not really sure."

Hermione nodded. "I'm somewhere between nineteen and a half and twenty one."

Lily gaped at her. "No way. There is no way you are twenty one."

Hermione canceled the glamour, then leaned back onto the sofa. "I added almost ten months to my age with a time turner. And my birthday is in early September. So I started my first year at eleven, but three weeks into the school year I was twelve. And then I was sent here. So technically, I'm almost two years older than Harry. But then if you take into account the months I spent here, frozen, then Harry has almost caught up with me. I think. I haven't taken the time to calculate it."

Harry grinned smugly. "I dig older women."

Everyone erupted into laughter, stopping only to start again at the hurt look on Harry's face. "If Prongs had made a comment like that, no one would say anything!" he exclaimed. "I demand fair treatment!"

Hermione finally made herself stop laughing. "Okay, Harry. I'll treat James the same way I treat you. I'll cuddle with him, I'll-"

"Okay! Okay! Don't you dare treat us the same way!" Harry shouted. "I'll deal with being constantly laughed at as long as I'm the only one you kiss!"

Hermione patted his hand kindly. "Of course you are the only one here I would kiss. Imagine returning to our dimension and realizing that I made out with a man who is now in his forties? That would be the definition of creepy."

Harry put his head in his hands, milking it for all it was worth. "No one loves me." he moaned. "I'm unwanted!"

That started another round of laughter, which ended when Lily, reached over her boyfriend to give Harry a hug. "Don't worry. I like you a lot more than I like James."

When everyone had finally left for their own bedrooms, Harry and Hermione retired to their own. Separately, then dressed for bed and took their showers.

As soon as Hermione got into the bed, Harry wrapped his arms around her and drew her into himself. "I never want to see you and Bellatrix in the same room ever again."

Hermione turned around in her fiancee's arms. "I never want that either," she admitted. "But I'm curious, what happened with Voldemort? I feel really guilty that I was so worried about my self to ask about it."

Harry looked down at the woman in his arms, eyes burning. "Don't feel guilty. The whole tea thing was a bad idea in the first place. And seeing the girl, Adelynne? That was her name, right?" A quick nod from Hermione confirmed it, and he continued. "Seeing her reminded you of then months you spent as a 'guest' in Malfoy Manor. It is nothing to be ashamed of, or feel guilty about."

Hermione wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. "I don't deserve you."

Harry tucked a curl behind her ear, and kissed her forehead. "Of course you do. I'm the one who is luck to have a brilliant, caring, and beautiful girl in my bed and my heart."

Hermione smiled weakly at him, still near tears. She kissed his neck, then said again, "Tell me how it went with Tom Riddle."

Harry's eyes darkened. "He isn't the half man, half snake he becomes later. I don't know if he was using a glamour, or a charm, but he reminded me of the Tom Riddle that opened the Chamber of Secrets. Young, handsome, charming. A bit pale, eyes a bit red, but a very compelling figure. He offered me brandy and wine, he was the picture of wealth and privilege, fine robes, cigar, fine wine. He tried Legilimency on me, and I let him through the first walls, with the fake memories you planted. He seemed interested in you in particular. He was asking questions about us, how long we had been a couple, how strong we were, what we wanted to do. He talked for a while about his 'grand plan' for the 'extermination of the lower races.' It was sickening."

Hermione pulled him closer, and held him while he finished the account of his time. She started to cry as he told his story.

"He asked me if I wanted revenge on the people who had hurt you. I pretended that he was asking about Bella and the Malfoys. His exact words were, 'Do you want to make them suffer? Make them plead for death? Make them writhe at your feet? The ones who hurt your precious Hermione?' and for a moment, I saw what made him so appealing. He only make you do what you want to do. He draws you in and gives you exactly what you want until you are so indebted to him you can't say no."

The two held each other through the night, comforting their counterpart when they awoke with nightmares.

The next morning, they walked down to breakfast together, finding the rest of their friends already at the table, eating ravenously. "You didn't tell me I would be this hungry," Lily complained. "I woke up at five this morning with hunger pains that felt like my stomach would fall out."

Hermione winced, and sat down next to her friend. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that would happen."

Harry put an arm around her and whispered in her ear, "Don't apologize to Lily. Apologize to the people who had to watch Sirius and James consume the entire Gryffindor table the house elves had to send up more food."

Hermione shivered at the mental vision. "Ouch. Really ouch. Did they close their mouths this time, or was it a-"

Lily shuddered, still eating her large breakfast, "You dont' wanna know. Your really don't wanna know."

Hermione looked around the table, and frowned, wondering where the boys were. "Where did they go? I don't see them anywhere."

Lily shrugged. "I think they went to the kitchens for a larger variety of food. I didn't want to go with them."

Hermione waved a hand and the bacon rose in the air and slid toward her. Both Lily and Harry gasped as Hermione did the wandless magic. "Wow. Please tell me you did not just do wandless magic," Lily said.

Hermione smiled. "It's working!" She lifted a thick silver necklace hanging around her neck. "I thought I'd test it out with one of the spare power gems."

Lily's face went red, and her eyes narrowed. Didn't Hermione know how much power she and James had put into that gem? "So you're just playing with it?" she asked snidely.

Hermione glared back. "No. I'm testing it so I don't get a surprise in the middle of the operation."

"But-" Lily started, but then closed her mouth. "You're right. I just don't want it wasted. It took a lot out of us. I hate feeling weak."

Hermione clucked, and put an arm around her friend. "Don't worry, Lily. It will go away in less than an hour now that you have food in you. Let's go find the boys, shall we?"

* * *

**What did you think? I promise I will insert a fight scene for you action people in the next chapter. Pinky swear. Scout's honor.**

**On the questions from last week: Wow. WAY OFF. I am a lot younger than all of you think I am. Whoa. It is really cool that you all think that I'm twenty. Or seventeen. I had a stupid grin on my face and my family got worried :D**

**Thank you to all who have reviewed or responded to my questions. It means a lot to me that you all read this and like my little story that has grown so huge. **

**Next chapter: A rescue, and a ritual. **

**Chapter after that (if all goes as planned) : A week of Horcrux hunting. **

**After that: Who knows? Not me!**

**Please Review! Metaphorically feed the author! Wish me luck for my finals! 4 down, 2 to go!**


	30. Rescues and Rituals

**Hello, faithful readers! SUMMER IS HERE! YEAH!**

**Okay. Got that outta my system. This chapter did not turn out the way I thought it would, to be honest. However, I feel that it is one of my better chapters. I really like the ending...**

**I do not own Harry Potter. Nuff said.**

**THINGS I FEEL THE NEED TO ADDRESS: Two people left reviews that made me want to clear some stuff up. One person asked if I was getting any of my story from a book or something. The answer is no. I make all this up, usually between Friday night and Tuesday morning. I pull it from the deepest recesses of by brain. Sometimes I do use ideas from books, but I usually say something. I do not think I have done this recently, but if you think you recognize something, ask. Second thing: One person made a comment that he/she had the 'feeling' that the next chapter would come when I hit 740 reviews. BY COINCIDENCE this happened. I update every Tuesday. If I got fifteen reviews over the week or thirty. EVERY TUESDAY, PEOPLE. **

**However, that might change soon. I am going on a long vacation this summer, and will not have much time to write. But when I do have time, I will, and I will update randomly over June and July. Maybe August. I have two weeks before I'm on a plane to Paris. So wait for your chapters and review to give me inspiration!**

**On with the story!**

* * *

The day passed slowly, with Harry and Hermione waiting until dark to start the journey to Malfoy Manor. Hermione stopped by Madam Pomfrey, asking her to give her the potions and the special blend of medical spells for what would hopefully be the last time. It was nearing dusk when she, Harry, and the Marauders, minus Peter, plus Lily walked down to the gates together.

Peter had turned down the 'walk around the castle' that the others had told him they were planning. They had chosen this excuse because of Peter's distaste for physical activity and as a judge to see his reactions to them. Needless to say, he had not quite passed this test. So for now, Hermione and decided to keep him out of the loop for a while longer.

Hermione stood tall, eyes bright and not quite lucid from the pain potions. She was reveling in the high the potions gave her, free from pain and worries for around three hours. Her chestnut hair was bound in a tight French braid, courtesy of Lily, and she was wearing dragon hide armor. She had her wand, a set of knives, and a short sword, along with the power booster necklace and her glamour. She didn't expect to have to use the weapons, but that was a CYA move. It had been the last mistake of many a witch to be disarmed and without a weapon.

Harry was the opposite. He seemed weary, looking like Hermione usually did: his countenance that of a man who had seen too much pain and death and must return the to place of the memories once more. However, his back was straight and his eye determined. He would not let his love go again, and he would not let the woman who had tortured her torment another child. He had the sword of Gryffindor at his side, charmed by Hermione to look like a normal broadsword. He too hoped that he would not have to use the weapon. He carried the Elder wand with him, and was counting on the necklace to provide him with all the power he needed.

Before long, the seven found themselves at the gate at Hogwarts, with the sun almost set behind them. "Are you ready to go?" Lily asked quietly. "You shouldn't miss the sun."

Hermione wrapped her arms around Lily tightly, giving her soon to be mother-in-law a hug that came close to squeezing the life out of her. "Don't worry, Lily. Harry and I have done things like this before."

The rest of the boys hugged Hermione in turn, as Harry exchanged words with his mother. "You and the boys should wait here for Adelynne. We are going to send her back by Portkey, then if we need to, fight our way out. Then we are going to rush back here and get to the Room of Requirement in time for the ritual. Your job is to make sure Adelynne is okay."

Lily nodded, and hugged the man she had grown to think of as a friend. "Of course, Harry. You and Hermione has best be going now."

Harry smiled grimly. "You're right." He activated his glamour, and touched Hermione's arm gently. "It's time to go, love."

She turned on her glamour, and was instantly the cold warrior she had envisioned. "I'm ready."

With a nod to the other Marauders, Harry and Hermione walked past the gate, and Disapparited.

With a muffled popping sound, the two landed by a road close to the manor. They disillusioned themselves, and crept toward the manor where a girl awaited their rescue.

They had gone to the back of the house, and from the gate they could see the entrance to the kitchens Adelynne had told Hermione about. However, the wards prevented them from being able to see anything other than indistinct shapes.

"I'm going to need about ten to fifteen for these wards. Are you going to create a diversion on the other side?" Hermione asked. "Time it so that it goes off in exactly seven minutes."

Harry checked his watch, then nodded. "Gotcha. Your diversion will explode in six minutes and fifty five seconds."

Hermione flashed a quick smile, then went to work making a hole in the complicated ward scheme around Malfoy Manor. The trick was to identify all the layers, then to choose the weakest. From there, you punctured the weakest layer, and spread your hole from there. The hardest part for Hermione was to mask her magical signature, which would have made it easy for the law enforcement to identify her as the one who had breached the wards.

The weakest layer was the one that prevented those without Malfoy blood from taking control of the manor. The first Malfoy to own the house had identified his blood as Malfoy blood, a mistake as that meant every generation had weaker and weaker control over the house. This meant Hermione was able to open a hole in only six minutes and fifty five seconds, and the disturbance meant that Lucius would not notice the hole open.

As the little device Harry had thrown over the fence flashed and wailed, Hermione spread her hole, the wards dissolving like acid through a bolt of cloth. She made sure she completely disabled the anti-portkey wards, and the anti-apparition wards. She then fiddled with the dark magic detector disabler, and the underage magic detector disabler. No need for the Malfoys to come out of this squeaky clean after all...

"Okay. I'm done," Hermione panted. "We are good to go. Follow me exactly." With a swish of her want, a white light outlined a door in the gate. "Hurry as fast as you can after me." Hermione opened the door quickly and ran through to the grounds, feeling the torn spiderwebs of the tampered wards brushing her skin. With a soft grunt, Harry barreled through the wards and the door closed.

Hermione looked over her fiance, and smiled at the fierce look the scar gave him. "Good job. I'll get Adelynne, you cover me."

He nodded. "You have the portkey?" he asked, as they took of at a run to the kitchen entrance where Adelynne would be waiting.

She nodded. "Of course." They had come to the door, which, as promised, has been left open a crack. Hermione could see a few house elves working in the dim glow from the kitchen fires. As she crept closer, Hermione could hear a soft high voice talking to a house elf.

"Dobby! I can't go right now. Please. Just a little longer, and then I'll go. Just a little-" the voice pleaded.

"No missy! Master's friends says that yous must go up to his room now!" Dobby's voice said. "Dobby is sorry missy."

Adelynne's voice cam back. "Please Dobby. Please! Just another minute. I'm waiting for someone."

Dobby sighed as Hermione ran for the door. "Okay missy. Dobby will tell Master's friend that missy is on her way. Hurry!"

"Thank you, Dobby! I promise I won't be long. Just another minute," Adelynne replied. A crack revealed that Dobby had left, and Hermione could hear Adelynne start to cry. "Where are you, Hermione?" she whispered.

"Right here, love," Hermione said, smiling on the outside but feeling her heart break on the inside. "I just look different."

Adelynne jumped up, and looked at the girl warily. "How can I be sure?" she asked. "Who did I ask you about in our conversation?"

"Madonna," Hermione answered. "What did I tell you about myself?" You could never be too sure who a person was, Hermione mused.

"That you aren't really a pureblood," Adelynne replied, standing and wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Hermione checked her over and winced at the bruise on the girls cheek. She set the portkey on the table so that she wouldn't leave. "Here. Take this and say 'my life is my own.'"

Adelynne accepted the scrap of cloth. "My life is my own." With a tug to her navel, the girl saw herself fly through the air at the same time Bellatrix burst into the kitchens, wand drawn and eyes blazing.

She landed in a heap on the ground, not used to portkeys. She lift her head, to see where Hermione had sent her. She could see a large castle, and a lake, with a forest behind it all.

"Hello?" Adelynne rolled over as fast as she could, to see the girl who was coming up behind her. "I'm Lily Evans. Did Hermione send you?"

Adelynne nodded, cautiously. The girl before her was about a year or two older than she was, tall with white skin and green eyes. The most curious thing about this girl was the hair the color of flame that was floating around her face.

The girl- Lily?- smiled widely. "Great. Are you hurt?" she asked, extending a hand for Adelynne to help herself up.

"No," she said, accepting the offered hand. "But Hermione and Harry might be." To her right she heard a man curse, and cringed into Lily.

"It's gonna be okay," Lily murmured. "No one hear will hurt you. And if they do I'll hex their bollocks off. And then I will teach you how to hex their hands off. Or vise versa. If you want to do the bollocks, that is fine by me."

Adelynne laughed. "I have a lot to learn. But I definitely want the bollocks."

Lily's green eyes were dancing as she replied. "Then I get the hands. Deal?" Adelynne shook the small white hand offered.

"Deal." Lily put an arm around Adelynne, and started steering her toward the castle. "Adelynne and I are going to go to the Room of Requirement. You guys wait for Harry and Hermione. Adelynne said that they might be injured."

Adelynne nodded. "Last I saw, Bellatrix was bursting into the kitchen. She look furious."

The tall boy with the gray eyes and long black hair snorted. "That's my cousin for you," he muttered. When her heard Adelynne's gasp, he smiled wryly. "I'm the only one who's not crazy in my family. As a result, they hate my guts. It happens sometimes."

Adelynne smiled back. "And you are?"

Lily smacked her forehead. "I'm sorry for not introducing all of you. As you guys know, this is Adelynne. Adelynne these boys are James Potter, my strange boyfriend, Sirius Black, the idiot who has the even stupider family, and Remus Lupin, who frequently gets stuck with these two dolts." Remus smiled smugly and waved, while James and Sirius protested the 'unfair labels' Lily had 'imposed' on them.

Lily just shook her head at the antics of the juvenile boys, and just started walking toward the castle. "They can be more than a little silly sometimes. But all of them are sweet at heart. They would all die for me, or for Hermione. Have you met Harry yet?" she asked conversationally.

Adelynne nodded. "I've seen him play pureblood supremacist. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that he is not really like that."

Lily shivered. "Let's hope that you are the only one at that tea that has that sneaking suspicion. If not..." Lily let her voice trail off, and nervously pulled her hair in to a ponytail.

Adelynne hugged the older girl, already feeling close to her, and wanting to reassure her that the two who had risked so much for her would be okay. "Don't worry. Hermione will be fine."

Lily nodded, a flash of steel going through her green eyes. "She'd better. Or I will kill Harry."

Before long, the two girls were nearing the castle. Lily looked down at the worn shift Adelynne was wearing, and shook her head. "This will never do. Hold still for one second," Lily said as she pulled out her wand, tapping it against her lip gently. "Let me see..." Lily brightened. "Hermione taught me this," she said, trying to calm the girl, who looked apprehensive. She had probably never had a wand pointed at her by someone wanting to help her instead of hurting her, Lily thought.

"Numous dimionco," Lily whispered, moving her wand in a complicated pattern. "Finuis." Adelynne looked down in shock as her stained, off white shift spun around her and turned itself into a set of ivory robes.

Lily's look of intense concentration broke into a wide smile. "Sorry about the color. I just wanted to see how it would look against your skin tone," she said brightly, then waved her wand again with a quiet incantation, turning the robe black, with a Gryffindor trim. "I can't replicate the patch, put no one should look too hard," Lily explained. "Are you hungry?"

Adelynne nodded. "The house elves used to feed me all the time when I started sleeping in the kitchens, but then Bellatrix found out and had Narcissa order them to stop. So I only get food when Bellatrix remembers."

Lily gasped. "That bitch... I can't see how Sirius is related to her. We are going up to the Room of Requirement, and I'll get a friendly house elf I know to get us some food."

The two girls quickly ran to the passage Harry had told Lily about, and made their way through the castle with no trouble. Lily paced in front of the room three times, and a door came into view, allowing them to slip in.

* * *

"Shite," Hermione swore. "God-damn this-"

"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix shrieked, sending a bolt of green light toward Hermione. "Who are you?"

"No one you need to be concerned about," Hermione bantered, feeling a grin spread over her face. As much as she groaned about being in a war, she really did miss it, she realized. "Reducto!"

"You little demon!" Bella yelled. "Avada Kedavra! Confringo! Crucio!"

_Damn, that was close_, Hermione thought, dodging Bella's spells. "Petrificus totalus! Conjuntivus!" Silently, Hermione sent a bone-breaker, a flame thrower, and another body-bind.

Twisting and turning away from Hermione's spells, Bellatrix laughed. "Is that all the wittle baby's got? Avada Kedavra! Crucio!"

_Harry, where the hell are you?_, was all that was going through Hermione's head. "Reducto! Humurs Fractuos!"

The back end of the bone-breaker hit the madwoman's shoulder. Bella cried out, then looked at Hermione with pure hatred in her eyes. "You will pay, scum. Crucio!"

* * *

"Libby!" Lily called. The small elf appeared with a loud crack, causing Adelynne to wince. "Can we get some food? Leftovers from dinner maybe? And could you bring the healing potions Hermione left with you?"

The small elf nodded happily. "Of course, Missy Lily! Libby will be getting food and Missy Miney's potions now!" She disappeared with another crack.

"That was Libby," Lily explained to Adelynne. "She is a house elf who helped me a few times. Hermione befriended her as well."

To Lily's shock, Adelynne started crying, sobbing really, into her hands. "I'm sorry," she cried. "It's just that Hermione has been doing so much to help me that I didn't know about and I left her at the Manor! I left her!"

Lily went to sit by the sobbing girl, hugging her. "Yes, you did," she said simply. "But you need to understand about Hermione. She is more than capable of taking care of herself. If you had stayed to try and help her, then you might have gotten in the way, resulting in you getting hurt of Hermione getting hurt. It was the right decision to leave."

Adelynne stopped crying, and looked up at Lily, wiping her eyes. "But, she is so small! Unless she really looks like she did tonight."

Lily laughed. "No way. Hermione is actually the woman you saw at the tea. Short, skinny, and with too many curls."

Adelynne made a face. "I love her hair. When I was younger, I would have done anything to have curly hair."

Lily nodded, a small smile on her face. "Me too." The two girls started laughing, just looking at each other and breaking out in fresh giggles.

"Libby is here with the food and potions Missy Lily!" Libby announced, arriving with a steaming platter of food, and a small trunk.

"Thank you, Libby," Lily said, taking the trunk while Libby set the food on the table. "Engorio," said Lily, waving her wand over the trunk, and smiling at Adelynne's gasp as she watched the trunk expand. "What?" Lily asked teasingly. "Never seen an expanding charm before?"

"No," Adelynne replied softly. "I'm a muggleborn. I spent almost no time at school. The only magic I've seen are torture spells, contraception spells, and a few others."

Lily's face tightened, and her eyes grew cold. "That is no way for a child to live," she said quietly. "Tom Riddle must be stopped."

Adelynne bristled. "I am no child," she hissed, feeling the resentment and anger well up in her. "How old are you to call me a child?"

Lily patted Adelynne's arm, and apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that you were a child. I meant that what happened to you should not happen to anyone else. And I am nearly eighteen. An adult in the Wizarding world."

Adelynne hugged Lily tightly. "I'm sorry too. I'm just worried. And hungry. Can I eat?"

Lily nodded, glad to be done with the previous conversation. Hermione could deal with that stuff. "Yep. Just as soon as you down these potions."

Adelynne accepted the five vials Lily handed her with curiosity. "What are they for?"

"Take all of them, but the pale blue one. That is for a dreamless sleep. The others are for everything from overall health to repair and revitalize."

"Repair and revitalize?" Adelynne asked, swallowing the first potion with a grimace. "Ugh."

"Just drink them without thinking," Lily advised. "That pink one repairs any open wounds, scratches, and bruises. It also boosts your immune system."

"Ah," Adelynne shivered. "So why does it taste so bad?" she asked, amazed that something the color of that pink medicine for diarrhea could taste so nasty.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want to know?"

Adelynne lifted her own eyebrow in response. "Would I have asked if I didn't?"

"Point," Lily conceded. "It's all the frog spleen."

* * *

Lucius and Rabastan appeared in the dark by the entrance to the kitchens, Lucius pressing a wand to Harry's back. "Imagine my surprise when the intruder the wards informed me about was actually a small metal box," Lucius drawled. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing important," Harry replied, just as calmly. "Just serving some justice."

"Justice my arse," Rabastan snarled. " I want to-"

From the kitchens came the sounds of pots clanging and spell fire. "Damn," Harry swore under his breath. "God damn this to hell."

With a mild grunt, Harry flipped Lucius over his shoulder and sent a bone-breaker at Rabastan. The bone-breaker caught him in the gut, breaking all of his ribs, his arms, and the top of his legs. Harry had no time to worry about him however, because Lucius had recovered his breath and was ready to duel.

Harry cast the first curse, trying to incapacitate the blond man. But Lucius was still fit from his Quidditch days and was able to dodge.

Harry winced when he heard high pitched, feminine laughter from the kitchen. That could only be Bellatrix, and he was worried for Hermione.

* * *

"Thank you for the more than excellent food," Adelynne said, gratitude in her dark eyes. "That might have been the best meal I have ever eaten."

Lily smiled, but her mind was not fully focused on the conversation. "That's good," she murmured, checking her wristwatch.

Adelynne caught her worried look. "Is everything okay?" she asked, worried for the girl who had helped her so much.

"Well," Lily hesitated. "Harry and Hermione should have been back by now. They only have about twenty more minutes if they want to do the ritual tonight."

"Ritual?" Adelynne asked, unsure of what Lily was talking about. "What ritual?"

"You know that Hermione is sick, right?" Lily asked. When she received a shake of the head, Lily sighed. "Well, she is sick. She acts like she's not most of the time, but she is. And it bothers her a lot. Like in the Hospital Wing for a week a lot. The injury was caused by a cursed knife, and there are some other factors that make what should have been a painful but healing wound not heal. The ritual tonight was supposed to correct this, or at least help."

"Wait," Adelynne said, holding up her hands. "Hermione is sick? But it doesn't affect her dueling skills, does it?"

Lily nodded solemnly. "It does. Some days she can barely walk."

"And she risked not doing the ritual to rescue me?" Adelynne asked, horrified. "Doesn't she know that she's more important than I am?"

* * *

Harry and Hermione had been backed into a corner of the kitchen, and were fighting against the Lestrange brothers, Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Lucius. Harry had stunned Lucius, and ran into the kitchen to help Hermione. However, Rabastan's brother had come and helped him and Lucius, coming into the kitchen to help Bellatrix, who had been joined by her sister.

The fight was getting messy, with Rodolphus sporting a bloody gash across his chest, and his brother still recovering from the broken bones. Lucius looked as if he had gone into a murderous rage, as did his sister-in-law, who was sending continuous streams of green light from her wand.

Harry and Hermione moved as a team, evading the Unforgivables, and shielding each other from the others. The extra power from the necklaces was helping tremendously, but the two were still tiring. Harry caught a glimpse of his watch when raising his arm, and cursed.

"We need to move," he said in a controlled whisper. "The ritual."

He saw confusion spread across Hermione's face, then realization. "You have to really concentrate, because the Anti-apparition wards are still there except for the hole."

"On three?" he suggested with a rakish grin.

"On three," she agreed. "Stupify! Reducto!"

"One," Harry said, just an exhalation of breath. "Expelliarmus!"

"Confringo!" Hermione shouted. "Two," she added in a softer voice.

"Three!" they shouted together, and Disapparited, landing by the gates of Hogwarts, where Adelynne had landed earlier.

"Ouch," Hermione moaned, opening her eyes to a wand pointed at her nose. "I am Hermione Granger, dimensional traveler extraordinaire," she said rolling her eyes. "What is Remus Lupin?"

"A stunningly handsome werewolf," Remus answered. "What is James Potter's animagus form?" he asked Harry as he and Hermione deactivated the necklaces.

"A cute little deer," Harry drawled. "While I am a sleek and sexy panther." He endured the resulting hit from James, and clonked him back in retaliation.

"Boys," Hermione muttered. "So immature." She looked around the flat section of grass as Remus extended a hand to help her up. "Did Adelynne get here okay?"

"Yep," Sirius said, rocking back on his heels. "She and Lily are in the Room of Requirement."

James and Harry stopped fooling around, and Harry strode purposely over to Hermione. He embraced her, but did not kiss her yet. Instead he just looked into her eyes. "Promise me you will never put yourself in danger like that again."

Hermione stared back with something similar to pity in her eyes. "I cannot promise that."

Now he did pull her toward him, pressing his lips to hers. When he finally pulled away, he just stared at her. "And that is why I love you." He kissed her again, then just covered her face in kisses. "I was so scared I was going to lose you." He ran his hands over her body, for his pleasure yes, but also to make sure she was okay. "I love you. So much. I would not be able to live without you."

"And I you," Hermione said with conviction. "Let's go back to the castle so we can be on time for the ritual."

When they made it to the Room of Requirement, Hermione knocked on the door, then stepped in. She was not at all surprised to see Lily and Adelynne on a couch, giggling like girlfriends. She would not be surprised if both had made a life long friend in the hour or so between Adelynne's rescue and Hermione's return.

"Hey," she said softly, walking into the room while the boys waited outside. "How are you?"

At the sound of her voice, both girls jumped. Lily just about vaulted over the couch to hug Hermione tightly. "My god, Hermione. Don't you ever do anything like that ever again."

Hermione looked at her friend shocked. "If I can't promise that for Harry, what makes you think I'd do it for you?" She laughed and hugged Lily tighter. "I'm fine, and so is Harry. We got lucky."

Adelynne was watching the reunion with wide eyes. "Hermione?" she called timidly.

Hermione broke away from Lily, and walked over to the Italian girl. "Are you alright? I didn't really have time to explain anything. I could hear Bellatrix coming."

Adelynne nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. You survived a duel with Bellatrix Black?"

Hermione nodded. "And not for the first time either. She improves a lot later on." Too late, Hermione cursed her slip of the tongue, but continued, hoping Adelynne wouldn't notice. "Then again, she had four other people on her side."

Lily gaped at her. "You fought five dangerous adults and won? With only Harry on your side?"

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Lily, you of all people should know that Harry alone probably counts for about five other people."

"And you for another five," said Harry, unable to wait any longer. "So it was a fight stacked on our side. Right 'Mione, love?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her. It had been pure torture waiting for Hermione to let him come int. He didn't want to wait anymore. Or be away from her.

"Of course darling," Hermione cooed, face angel sweet before hardening into a glare. "Did I tell you that it was alright for you to come in yet?" she snapped. Then turning back to Adelynne, she smiled with the same sugary sweetness. "Adelynne, dear, this is my fiancee, Harry Potter. Potter, this is Adelynne. You scare her, I pickle your balls for potions ingredients."

Adelynne giggled behind her hand. "So what happened after I left?"

Hermione shrugged. "I fight Bella. Harry gets Lucius and Rabastan. His brother and Narcissa come down to the kitchen so she what was going on. We all eventually ended up in the kitchen, dueling. Then Harry remembers that I dismantled the anti-apparition wards. So we apparate out." For all the pretense of being mad at Harry, Adelynne noticed she was leaning into his strong presence at her back. "Nothing too dangerous."

Lily snorted. "You strolled into the snake pit to rescue the lion. That takes some guts."

Harry startled. "Speaking of guts, we have a ritual we need to take care of. Would you two ladies mind getting out of the room so we can set it up like we need it?"

Neither Adelynne nor Lily objected, so there was a mini exodus to the corridor, where the boys were waiting. As Hermione paced in front of the door, Harry gave them leave to go to the dorms.

"Lily? Would you let Adelynne into our rooms? We can take you to Dumbledore in the morning," Harry explained. "Only Hermione and I will be doing the ritual."

Sirius scoffed. "More like only Hermione and you will be doing the nasty."

"Sirius is a juvenile," Lily explained to Adelynne. "He thinks that just because the ritual has to be done with Hermione nude that Hermione and Harry will be shagging."

"We can't shag, Sirius you idiot," Hermione exclaimed, finished with the room. "The ritual requires that both parties be virgins. Which means none of you dolts qualify."

That caused some blushes and some ardent admiration of the nearest floor or wall. Hermione smirked. "I thought so. Lily, you have the password for our suite, yes?"

Lily nodded. "Do you mind if I stay there with her until the two of you get back?"

Harry hugged his mother. "Of course. See you in around two or three hours."

With that, he and Hermione entered the room they had created. It had a sunken bath, filled with steaming water. On the other side was a circle, with triangle in the center. The entire room was smoky with incense, filling the room with a blue smoke that smelled vaguely comforting.

The couple looked at each other, then at their clasped hands. "This isn't going to be pretty," Hermione said quietly. "I don't look like I used to."

Harry snorted. "Neither do I." He squeezed her hand lightly. "But you are still Hermione and I am still Harry. And I love you, and not what you look like."

Hermione kissed his cheek, and squeezed his hand back. "Are you going to be able to do what the ritual requires?"

Harry looked pained for a moment. "I hate hurting you. But if it will make you better, then I will be able to do it."

"Good," Hermione responded, tone still uncertain. "I'll undress on that side of the tub. Close your eyes until I tell you it's okay."

Harry nodded his agreement, closing his eyes. Through the steam, he could hear the distorted sounds of Hermione undressing, and stepping into the water.

"You can open your eyes now, Harry," she called. When he did, he saw that she was completely submerged in the hot water, so that only her face was visible.

Harry smiled reassuringly, and then teasingly. "You have to close your eyes now," he teased, pulling off his sweaty clothes, then stepping into the pool. "You're good to open," he said, once he was in the water. As he was considerably taller than Hermione, the water only came up to his mid chest.

"Can you turn around while I do the cleansing ritual?" Hermione asked, feeling absurdly shy. This was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, after all. So why was she so opposed to him seeing her in the nude?

"Of course," was Harry's reply. He was always so considerate, so accommodating. She loved him even more when he turned and closed his eyes.

Now it was time for her to focus. The normal pain had been dulled to a dim ache of awareness in the back of her skull, numbing even more in the scalding water.

The room had provided them with the proper materials for the ritual. Hermione took the stone bowl from the edge of the bath, and stood on a ledge that was the perfect height for the ritual.

She let the bowl skim through the water, raising it above her head when it was full. "By the turn of the earth and the cycle of the seasons, I ask that the deities of the earth and moon cleanse me of all skin." She let the hot water anoint her head, shivering as she felt it cascade down her curls and over her nose.

She filled to bowl again. "By the cycles of the moon and tides, I ask that you, Poseidon, Greek lord of the waves, cleanse me, and that you, Artemis, maiden of the hunt, cleanse me." The water was again allowed to run over her head.

"And finally, by the will of the trinity, and the will of the cosmic force, allow me to be clean!" The bowl was once more filled and dumped, and Hermione allowed herself to slip back into the water.

She swam over to Harry, and tapped him on the shoulder before swimming back to her side of the pool. She could not talk until the healing ritual itself would begin.

Harry did the ritual while she looked out on the circle, going over the ritual mentally as Harry's calm voice filled the chamber. Before long, he was finished, and it was time for them to walk over to the other side of the room.

Thankfully, the chamber was filled with smoke and steam, the two combining to create a kind of blue fog that penetrated every corner of the room. Hermione looked away from Harry, jealous for a moment that he got to put on a white robe, as his part as the 'priest' in the ritual.

As quickly as she could, Hermione walked over to the triangle inside the circle. She put her head at one point, and lay down, shivering at the feeling of cold stone at her back.

Harry had finished putting on the pure white robe, and was standing at the point of the triangle where her head was. He was holding the Elder wand, and a silver knife.

Harry cleared his throat, and started the ritual. "I call on Diana, the maiden of the hunt, to heal her child. So mote it be."

"I call on Artemis, lady of the moon, to heal her child. So mote it be."

"I call on Hectate, maiden, woman, crone, to heal her child. So mote it be."

"Before you lies a pure maiden, made unclean by an event she had no control over, and a injury inflicted on her.. By the power given to you by the belief of the ancient Greeks, heal her! So mote it be!"

With a slight cry, Harry traced the wound caused by Voldemort with the silver knife, opening it. Hermione bit back a scream, back arching as she struggled not be make a sound.

"Diana! Artemis! Hecate! One goddess, three forms! Maiden of the Hunt! Lady of the Moon! Crone of Wisdom! Heal this maiden!" He was making the intricate wand movements Hermione had taught him over the wound, focusing on the purity of his love for her and her love for him.

Before Harry's shocked eyes, the wound began to knit itself together. Hermione arched up again, and, in a parody of lust, began to writhe and arch. The ritual was a test, and would heal a maiden for as long as she withstood the temptations and tortures that were paraded before her mind. When she made a sound, the healing would stop.

Harry watched as little blue sparks jumped from the bruises on Hermione's wrists back to the knife wound, then to her head. They seemed to go into her eyes, her nose, her ears, and Harry wondered if they were healing her mind as well.

"NOT HARRY!" Hermione yelled suddenly. "Anyone else. Not my Harry!" All the blue sparks disappeared, and Hermione slumped down. "Anyone other than Harry," she mumbled.

Harry looked down at her body, looking at the wound that had caused the tense silences, the collapses, the pained eyes. It had been reduced to a thick red scar, one that look painful but was nothing compared to the wound it had replaced. The bruises Sirius had causes were gone, and the scar from the Department of Mysteries had faded somewhat.

She was going to be okay.

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**What did you think? I finally got around to healing Hermione. **

**Before y'all flame me, I made all the decisions I did with a purpose. Yes, the rescue Adelynne before the ritual. Yes, they do stupid stuff. Deal. My story, my plot.**

**One or two people got my age right. That was very entertaining. Thank you for humoring me.**

**Next item of business: I want to pair Adelynne with one of the Marauders. Who? Remus, Sirius, or Peter? Review with your reasons, and go vote at my poll. I am up in the air for this one. Story could go either way.**

**Action lovers: I'm expecting that this chapter and the next will be the most action-y in the story! Cheer!**

**Many thanks to Giant, who is my muse for Adelynne. I need to get her opinion for the pairing... **

**Tell me what you liked or disliked. Review, vote, go read Greg Iles. I heart his books... Just discovered them. (I've read _Dead Sleep, Turning Angel, Blood Memory, _and _Sleep No More._ Makes me wish I lived in Natchez.)**


	31. The Gaunt Shack

**Please don't kill me for being a horrible updater! Like I've been mentioning, I've been on a long vacation in Europe.**

**Here is chapter 31. It is a bit short, but I had to cut it off here or you would have one monster of a chapter. Plus I wanted to give you something to read. **

**I think that the next time I update will be far away, but don't lose hope. I want to review the first few chapters of this story, and edit them. I wanted to show them to my cousin, and I winced in shame. Ouch. They are very painful, and very short. So I will be expanding! And I really need to update PN&NYM.**

**No one voted, but I think that was because of a problem with the poll. I will try again. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really love you guys. **

**And on to the story! Enjoy!**

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Two days later, Harry and Hermione were once again waiting at the gates to Hogwarts, their friends watching solemnly as they prepared to leave. Even fun-loving Sirius was aware that they might not return from this trip, and gave it the attention it deserved.

"When will you be back?" Lily asked. "We should know when to expect you."

Hermione looked up from her preparations. "Don't worry. We will send an owl or something when we are coming."

James put an arm around his girlfriend. "They will be fine, Lily. Hermione knows how to take care of herself and Harry."

It was true. In the days after the ritual, Hermione was like a new person. She was stronger, weighed more, and looked even better. The wound on her abdomen had scarred over, and the various other injuries had finally healed. Her eyes were brighter, and her spirits higher. Hermione felt invincible, confident in knowing that her body was in almost perfect shape. She was off the potions regimen, and had more energy and a better temper.

Harry smirked at James. "You bet your arse she could. My 'Mione could wipe you all over the floor. And then some."

Hermione laughed, but stopped when she realized no one else was laughing. "You guys need to relax. We have done this before, ya know."

Remus sighed. "We know. But that doesn't mean we have to like our friends going head first into danger and laughing all the way," he grumbled. "You better come back safe or I will hunt you down and kill you all over again."

Hermione walked over, abandoning the pack she had been double checking. "Don't worry, Moony. You have your potion. Harry will be there next full moon. Have fun. Don't worry!"

She walked back over to her pack with the cat-like grace that had only been improved by the ritual. "We need to be gone in about two minutes, Harry."

Harry gazed up at her from under his lashes, then stood suddenly and shouldered his pack. "Right, love. The apparition point near Riddle Manor?"

Hermione nodded. "Yep." She stepped up to each of the Marauders, giving them all hugs, even to Peter. "I'll see you guys in about a week." After a quick kiss to Harry's cheek, she stepped outside the gates and spun, disappearing with a soft crack.

Harry shook the Marauder's hands, and gave his mother a hug, before following his fiancee. "If we need anything, have your mirrors on you." he called out, before Disappariting.

He landed by the old shack he had seen in Dumbledore's old memories, the place where Tom Riddle's mother had fallen in love with the rich muggle. Hermione was already there, and waiting for him, arms crossed.

"It's about time," she said, the smirk in her voice clear. "You kept me waiting."

Harry grinned, feeling more alive than he had in weeks. "My apologies," he replied. "It it never polite to keep a lady waiting."

Hermione smiled back, teeth flashing in the early dawn. "Apology accepted. Now let's get a move on!"

The two of them walked, hand in hand, down to the path where the Gaunt shack was, a dilapidated ruin that was overgrown with various flora. The roof was sagging, and a dead snake swung from the open door in an odd invitation.

"Is this the place?" Hermione asked. "It does seem like a place that would spawn the likes of Tom Riddle."

"Yes," Harry said, gripping Hermione's hand tightly. "This was his mother's home."

Hermione nodded, squeezing Harry's hand, then letting go. "Do you remember what defenses were here?"

Harry shook his head. "No. But remember not to put on the ring. That was what killed Dumbledore."

Hermione was quiet for a moment. "I wonder how the Resurrection Stone would work for us. Would we see those who died in our dimension or only those who are dead in this dimension?"

Harry frowned. "I don't know. But I don't really want to find out."

Hermione grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I was just curious. Do you want me to start analyzing the wards?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Go ahead. What do you want me to do?"

"Well," Hermione started, her forehead already starting to furrow, "From what I've seen of Tom Riddle's work, he likes to use reptiles he had control over, because of Parseltongue. I suspect he has snakes or other animals he has control over inside the shack, or around it. They probably have not attacked because we are still quite a few yards away. But when we get closer," Hermione shrugged. "I don't want to risk it."

"So you want me to call out in Parseltongue?" Harry asked.

"Gods no!" Hermione exclaimed. "That would probably bring them all down on us at once. I want you to go out a little ways and find a serpent and ask about the house. You remember Voldemort said that the animals in Albania knew about him and avoided the area." She had one hand on her hip and the other holding her wand to her lips, tapping it against them.

"I do that," Harry said, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head. "Be right back."

"Okay," Hermione replied, staring into thin air. "Bye."

The wards on the Gaunt shack were very complicated. Unlike the wards at Malfoy Manor, these wards were far more difficult. In her mind, these wards were like a series of walls, complete with guard towers, barbed wire, and doors with heavy locks. To gain access required a distraction. From there, the ward breaker had three options: Go over, and dismantle as few deterrents as possible, collapse the entire scheme, or open one of the doors. To collapse the entire ward scheme would cause a massive power surge, and drain the ward breaker. To do this would be foolish and unnecessarily difficult. Depending on the person who had set up the wards, to 'blow up' the wards would alert the ward setter.

Opening a door would be the easiest option, Hermione decided. To open the door would require a key, like the blood sacrifice Dumbledore had given the wall of the cave. Finding the key took finesse, and time. Delicacy was needed to make sure none of the 'bricks' surrounding the door were disturbed. A distraction was needed to make sure the guard was distracted. Opening the door was a matter of finding the right key and the right lock.

First, Hermione needed to find the location and type of guard. Right now, she was debating between another basilisk or an imp or demon. At this point in time, Voldemort had yet to kill enough people to have a sufficient amount of dead bodies needed for Inferi.

A quick spell revealed she was right about the guard. Voldemort had bound a demon to the shack, one of the Third Realm. From what she could tell, it was a kind of serpent, which was why Riddle had chosen it. A Transfiguration of some nearby branches gave her a flock of large birds, perfect for serpent killing. Although the demon could not be harmed in the Earthly Realm, it could be hurt or captured. Hermione just wanted to distract it long enough to capture it, or open the door. Another flick of her wand had her birds frozen awaiting her command.

A complicated charm on her eyes gave Hermione to ability to see magic for a few moments, allowing her to see the texture and complexities of the wards, as well as their weak and strong spots. She identified three spots, and their various locks.

For now, the only way to get into the Gaunt shack was to present blood, a dead body, or command it to open in Parseltongue. That would be easiest and safest option, because she had Harry. The keys made her wonder what Dumbledore had used, as the amount of blood would be problematic at best. But she had to put away those thoughts for now, and concentrate on the task at hand.

After they got through the door, she or Harry would have to find the demon and trap it. She had brought the materials for this, so there was no worries there. Then they would have to locate the Gaunt Ring, hidden somewhere in the shack. She thought Voldemort would go for the dramatically obvious, the center of the room under the floor. But, she might be wrong. He could have put it in one of the walls or even in the roof.

"Hermione? You were right," Harry called, walking over the hill with a large snake draped across his shoulders. "The animals do know what's going on here. This is Ra."

Hermione shied away from the long serpent. "Hello, Ra," she said nervously. "Why did you bring him?"

Harry made a few choked, hissing noises in Ra's direction, and nodded when the snake hissed.. "He says hello back. And I brought him because he might be able to help us."

"How?" Hermione asked. "I have these," she gestured toward the frozen birds, "To get the guard."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the birds. "Good job. But how were you going to find the Horcrux?" Ra also looked over at the birds, and hissed threateningly. When they didn't respond, he quieted.

Hermione blushed a bit. "I was going to attack that after we got in." In truth, she had no idea.

Harry smiled, satisfied. "That is where Ra comes in. If we stomp on the floor, he will feel the vibrations. He can show us where something is buried. He says he is good at that."

Hermione nodded, impressed. "Good thinking. I should have thought of that."

Harry set the snake down, giving it a few final instructions. "You shouldn't have to think of everything all the time. I can do some work too, you know."

Hermione smiled weakly and wrapped her arms around him, glad he was free of the snake. "Good. Because I will be putting you to work." He tilted her chin up, and kissed her, sweetly and shortly.

"What can I do for you milady?" Harry asked, an amused glint in his eye.

Hermione smiled absentmindedly, brain going from pleasure to work. "To get inside the house, we need to command it to open in Parseltongue," she explained, then clamped a hand over Harry's mouth. "Not quite yet. To get inside the house without getting eaten by a serpent shaped demon, we have to send in a distraction first."

Harry nodded, then playfully licked her hand. Hermione sighed, then wiped it on her jeans. "That's enough, Harry. Time to get serious."

"Sorry," he said with a shrug. "Do we need to open the door to get the distraction inside?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. The point of the distraction is to get the guard so focused on one part of then defenses that he will forget the rest. So we send in the infantry, guns blazing, and send the assassin in through the back door."

Harry nodded his understanding. "Okay. Then what?"

"Then you say 'I command you to open in the name of Slazar Slytherin' in Parseltongue, and I do some fancy wandwork. And we go in," Hermione finished. "Simple enough?"

"Yep," Harry shook his shoulders loose. "I'm ready to go!"

The two teens faced the house, wands at the ready. They looked confident, yet wary, having been through enough to understand the fine line between bravery and foolhardiness.

Hermione took in a deep breath, and flicked her wand in an upwards sweep, releasing the birds, who flew across the house, screaming bloody murder. She waited until she heard a furious, hissing shriek, presumably from the demon.

"On three," she mouthed at Harry, who understood. She crept toward the house, stopping directly across from the snake hanging on the door. She raised her wand, and started the flowing movements interspersed with jerking tears that would begin to reveal the door.

She held up on finger when she was halfway through, then another when she was almost there. A final downward slash, and she held up her third finger, then rolled out of the way, pulling Harry down with her. Harry threw up a shield, and they ducked under the magical force field.

When the wave of dissipated magic disappeared, Harry and Hermione stood up shakily. Tentatively, Hermione stretched out a hand until she was touching the door. Nothing happened, and the hissing continued from the other side of the building.

"We're in," she said, grinning broadly. "Now we just need to get that demon."

"Gotcha," Harry replied, holding open the door for Hermione. "Capture the demon, get the Horcrux. We are all good."

Hermione allowed herself a brief chuckle. "Of course we are. Do you remember what I told you about the bottle?"

Harry nodded. "Open the top and command the demon to enter, by asserting my ownership rights as the defeater of its owner."

Hermione kissed his cheek. "Great. I'll be behind you if you need anything."

They walked to the other side of the shack, where they could see the corpses of Hermione's birds, and a shadowy cloud of serpentine smoke fighting the rest. The column of smoke was at least nine feet long, and the fangs were three quarters of a foot each. While they stood in the doorway, another bird fell to the giant snake.

Hermione jabbed Harry in the ribs, prompting him to raise the bottle and twist off the lid. "I claim my right to you, demon, by right of conquest. I have defeated your master not once but six times. I command you to enter this bottle."

When Harry had begun to speak, the snake had turned around, showing the two teenagers its fiery red eyes. When Harry had asserted ownership, the being howled, in an unEarthly way. When Harry had finished, it had found itself being drawn into bottle, smoke funneling into the glass container in a steady clockwise motion.

"Good," Hermione whispered into Harry's ear. "I didn't know if that would work."

Harry stared at her, incredulous. "You didn't know if it would work?"

Hermione shrugged, unaffected. "I usually have good hunches."

When the screams of the demon had finally died away, Harry popped the cap back on the specially reinforced perfume bottle. "That's done. Let's get Ra in here."

The friendly serpent had come slithering at the sound of his name, lifting his head in Harry's direction and hissing. Harry hissed back, and took Hermione's hand to pull her into the central room.

"We have to stomp on the ground, and if that doesn't work, hit the walls. Ra will go over to where the vibrations tell him that there is an object," Harry translated. "Ready?"

Hermione, instead of answering, started jumping up and down all over the room. "Are you?" she called out to him, relieved that the most difficult part of the operation was over.

Harry grinned at her. "You know I am," he replied, helping her make vibrations for Ra.

The snake held perfectly still for a moment, then slithered over the the center of the room, then hissed at Harry.

"He says there is something directly below him, about six feet down," Harry translated, before hissing at their helper. "It is box shaped, and has no heartbeat. That is all he can tell us."

Hermione smirked. Her suspicions had been correct. "What he gave us already is great. Can you tell him thank you for us?"

Harry obliged while Hermione started a spell that would do all the shoveling for them. With the charm it only took then minutes for a small wooden box to come to light.

Hermione spotted it first, leaping forward and using a Levitation charm to lift it out of the hole with out touching it. Setting it down on a rotting table, she did a series of diagnostic tests on the seemingly innocent pine box.

"Well," Hermione said, rocking back on her heels and raising her eyebrows. "Someone did not want us to find that box."

"What did you find?" asked Harry eagerly. "Can we touch it?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not yet. I found so many concealing spells on that box that if you touched it I wouldn't be able to find you for a week. If Ra had not helped us, we would have been in trouble."

Harry did his own tests on the box, and came to the same conclusion. "What do we do?"

Hermione gave a wicked little smile. "We over power it."

"How?" Harry asked. "It's a box. How do you over power a box?"

Hermione's smile just grew. "This is a box that hates having people look at it. So we put as many eyes on it as we can."

Within minutes the room was filled with floating eyeballs, all focused on the box in the center of the old table. Before long, the box started to tremble, then shake. Finally, with a loud crack, the box split at the seams, giving off black smoke.

It did not take long for Harry to vanish the eyes, and admire their handiwork. "We did good. What made you think of the eyeballs?"

Hermione shrugged. "I really have no idea. Maybe the stuff in Snape's old office?"

"When did you go to Snape's office?" Harry asked, forehead scrunched up. "You never got in trouble."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "When I got the stuff for the Polyjuice Potion, idiot. The floating jars kinda creeped me out."

"Understandable," Harry conceded. "Ready to see the ring?"

Hermione nodded, and moved what had been the top panel of the box. "Let's take a look."

Inside the box was another box, this one clear as glass, and apparently empty. However, when Harry groaned in despair, Hermione just chuckled.

"And he thinks he's so clever," she said under her breath. "Objectus Revelao," she intoned clearly, waving her wand over the clear box. Slowly a thick gold ring with a large black stone became visible before disappearing again.

"How did you know?" asked Harry, dumbfounded. "If it had been just me I might have given up."

Hermione smirked. "Tom Riddle isn't as clever as he'd like to think he was. The point of doing this is to make us think we have the wrong box, right?"

"Right," Harry confirmed, beginning to understand where she was going. "We were supposed to think that this one was a decoy or that someone else had been here first."

"Exactly!" Hermione exclaimed. "But what would be the point in putting so many high powered protection spells on the wood box? He used so many god-damned blood wards that it would have taken me weeks to get through the normal way."

"He messed up," Harry said, his face mirroring Hermione's. "He showed his hand by being too overprotective."

"And now we just have to break the crystal box and get out the ring," Hermione finished. "Give me a minute to figure out what he has on this."

"You mean we can't use the eyes again?" Harry asked.

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head. "This box has even stronger protections than the first one. It won't be fooled by fake eyes."

"So what can we do? Bring a ton of people in here?" Harry proposed. "That might be a bit of a problem.

"Of course if would be, silly." Hermione replied absentmindedly. "I already told you that the eye trick won't work. This box isn't as shy as the other one."

"Oh," Harry sighed. "Can I help with anything?"

"Conjure a long, sharp knife. I think this is going to require the blood of a virgin, or the blood of a snake, or the blood of a Gryffindor, or something," Hermione exclaimed in frustration. "Why is Voldemort so obsessed with blood?"

"Because he is afraid of death. And that makes his obsessed with what keeps us alive," answered Harry, startling Hermione.

"That was a rhetorical question," Hermione said with a touch of humor, "But thanks anyway. You may have just given me the key I needed to open this."

"What?" asked Harry. "Voldemort is afraid of death. What can we do with that knowledge?"

Hermione took a deep breath, and looked Harry in the eyes. "We have to make the Horcrux believe Voldemort is dead."

Harry sucked in an unsteady breath. "By destroying the other Horcrux near this one, right?"

Hermione nodded. "Right. If I'm right, then the other Horcruxes will realized that one of the others has been destroyed, but Voldemort won't because he has a mind and a body and distractions. What do you remember from when you destroyed the diary?"

"Pain in my head," Harry answered promptly. "Or something. I almost blacked out, but I thought it was from the deadly poison moving through my veins. Then I rescued Ginny and got out of there."

"Then I think this might work," Hermione said, mind running so fast Harry thought he could hear the gears moving.

"Can we take the box with us?" Harry asked, wanting to take his leave of the place where Merope Gaunt had suffered. "I don't want to stay in one place for too long."

Hermione, instead of answering, took a pouch she and Harry and worked on out of her pack and levitated the crystal box into it. "Let's go."

They exited the shack, and clasped hands. "Where to?" asked Hermione.

"The Forest of Dean sound good to you?" questioned Harry. "It would bring back memories of the good ole days."

Hermione shrugged and nodded. "See you there," she said quietly, letting go of his hand and giving him a kiss on the cheek before disappearing with a soft pop.

Harry smiled grimly, and Apparated away, landing in the clearing that would become their campsite in a few more decades. Hermione was already there, and the tent was up.

"That was fast," he remarked, coming up behind her and pulling her close to him. "You were always remarkable."

She tried to smile, but Harry caught the tear tracks on her face. He turned her around and used his thumbs to clear her cheeks. "What's wrong, love?"

"I was just thinking," Hermione said softly. "About how lucky we were. How many times you or I or Ron could have died and how many times we didn't. About how many times Dumbledore put his life on the line for us, and how many times he risked our lives. Right now, I feel like I escaped chance one time too many. I feel like-" She stopped and just leaned into Harry, and started crying again.

He held her, knowing exactly how she was feeling. Like they had cheated fate and fate was pissed. And both knew from experience that when fate was pissed she got hungry for blood, not caring if it was guilty or innocent.

Somehow he got them both inside the magical tent they had borrowed from James' father, one that was similar to the one they had used on the original hunt. It didn't take long for Hermione to stop crying, so Harry made them tea and they huddled together on one of the beds in the tent.

"Feel better now?" he asked, looking down at the tired face of his fiancee.

"Yeah," she admitted. "I didn't realize how much this would make me think of the Second Rising. I thought I could forget the stress and worry. You know, that was my greatest fear in the old days..." Hermione let her voice trail off.

"What was your greatest fear?" Harry asked, not understanding what she had said, and surprised by the difficulty.

"Making a mistake and getting you and Ron killed," Hermione said softly. "Sometimes I- I felt like all the pressure was on me. I always had to be the brains, the voice of reason. If I messed up even one time, someone would die. I messed up and Godric's Hollow and you almost died and your wand was snapped. Perfection was necessary and I wasn't perfect."

Harry was shocked into dumb silence. "I never thought about that."

Hermione smiled up at him, tears once again rolling down her cheeks. "You weren't supposed to."

"What do you mean by that?" Harry asked, mind once again functioning. "Even you were keeping things from me?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "Of course not! What I meant was that I never came to you because I didn't want you to worry. Your focus had to be on winning the war, not on me, and my problems."

Harry lowered his eyes in shame. "I'm sorry. I should have known that you would never do that. Do you want to sleep now?"

Hermione reached up a hand and cupped Harry's cheek. "Harry. Don't blame yourself, or you're going to make me regret telling you. Now I'm going to sleep and in five minutes I want you here with me, okay?"

Harry pressed a kiss to her forehead, and then her lips. "Let me change and I'll be there."

"Good," she said, and smiled. Harry walked over to their packs and stripped down to his boxers, while Hermione did the same. She tossed her clothes to him and he passed her a tank top and pair of shorts. He rejoined her in the small bed, and they fell asleep quickly.

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**I hope you liked it. Tell me if you did, or if you didn't. **

**Love to you all, and see you in a while. I'm having loads of fun in France, and both anticipating and dreading the departure of my parents. (I'll be in France alone for almost three weeks. AH!) **

**Review and vote if the poll works. I thinking of adding Severus, but can think of several pros and cons. Give me your opinion. **

**I will take my leave now. The next time I update, I will probably have edited the first few chapters!**

**Note: Can someone tell me what's going on for Law and Order SVU? That is my fav TV show. And I've heard a rumor somewhere that Elliott and Olivia finally kissed. PLEASE tell me that's true. :)**


	32. PreMeditated Murder

**Wow. I'll be really surprised if anyone reads this considering how long I've been gone.**

**I am really sorry. What can I say? Real life got in the way. I had a great vacation, however. My French is much improved due to my angelical cousin. (If you read French, check out her story. It is the only one in French in my favs.) So this summer: Started a new story, visited Europe, and guess what? I read an entire 100k+ fanfiction in French. It was weird. It was my cousin's idea, promise... **

**I hope you enjoy the long awaited chapter. I really had some bad writers block considering this story. I still have writers block with this story. Give me some reviews for inspiration. Quite a few of my regulars have dropped off the face of the Earth. I'm worried about a few of you...**

**If you haven't noticed, I've been doing some editing for the earlier chapters of the story. I've added more than 5000 words, but it is up to you if you want to read them or not.**

**Read and tell me what you think. Personally, I think it sucks. I wrote this a few sentences at a time. It was painful.**

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The next morning when they awoke, Harry and Hermione could hear the pattering of rain on the outside of the tent. The air inside the tent was cold, but their shared bed was warm and comfortable.

Hermione snuggled closer into Harry's chest, listening to the sound of the rain. "I love you."

"I love you too." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, taking in the sweet smell of her. His hand was caressing the bare skin of her lower back, marveling at the softness of it.

"Do we need to get up?" asked Hermione. "I really just want to stay in bed all day." She tilted her head to look Harry in the eyes.

"I think we do," Harry said quietly. "We have a lot of planning to do today. And then we have to go back to Hogwarts, find the diadem, and kill a basilisk."

Hermione nodded her consent, rolling over and stretching. "I can't decide if I hate or love mornings," she muttered, before going into the bathroom of the tent for a shower.

It was about an hour later when they were sitting together at the small desk that came with the tent. Hermione had a pad of paper and a muggle pen, and was writing down possible plans.

"We have a few options really," Hermione said, tapping the pen against her lips. "One, we can do a repeat of the first time we tried to go after the cup- also known as breaking into Gringotts. Or we can try and get her to show it to us, and steal it, but that isn't exactly a brilliant idea because, one- she'll know it was us who stole it, and two- even if we memory charm her if Tom looks into her head he'll see that she has a blank spot. And neither of us is good enough at creating fake memories to fool him."

Hermione looked up to see Harry staring at her, a haunted look in his eyes. "Hermione, you didn't consider one option," he said, looking both ashamed and eager at the same time. "We can convince her to show us the cup, take it, and instead of memory charming her, kill her."

~0o0~0o0~

Lily was sitting with Adelynne in the Room of Requirement, the two girls laughing softly together while completing their Charms homework.

Of course, Adelynne was working on second year homework, because of her interrupted education. But she was progressing faster, and it had been decided that she would stay at Hogwarts over the summer to catch up try and catch up more to her own class.

"Lily? When is Hermione coming back?" A brief lull in the conversation had turned the girls' thoughts away from their essays and back to their friend.

Lily sighed, and tucked a lock of flaming hair behind her ear. "A few days. I got an owl this morning that it should be less time than they had originally planned. And that they may need an alibi soon."

Adelynne frowned. "An alibi? But they aren't doing anything illegal, are they?" When Lily coughed and glanced around the room nervously, Adelynne glared at her from across the desk. "Lily Evans, don't even think about lying to me."

Lily stared at her parchment in defeat. "They might be. But it is all to prevent an evil Dark Lord from taking over the world."

"So it is all for good? Not for evil?" questioned Adelynne. "I can't see Hermione doing anything wrong though." When Lily nodded, her forehead smoothed. "I can live with that."

The two girls returned to their work, occasionally asking a question or measuring their parchment. About fifteen minutes passed before Lily began to tease Adelynne.

"So... Addie. Is it just me or have I noticed a certain boy following you like a puppy?"

~0o0~0o0~

Hermione stared down at her finished letter. It had taken her almost an hour to write, with considerable help from the Pureblood etiquette she had filched from the Black library years ago. It finally sounded just right to her- the correct blend of arrogant and beseeching, of confused and hopeful.

Harry rose from the bed, where he had been reading a book on curses. "Are you finished?" he asked, putting his large hands on her shoulders, rubbing away the hard knots that tension had formed.

"Yes," she said in a low voice. "Yes, I'm done."

Harry stopped rubbing her shoulders, and took her hand, pulling her up and into his arms. She clung to him for a moment, then followed him onto the bed. He lay down, and she did the same, only putting her head on his chest instead of the pillow.

"You are realizing that you really don't have much of a taste for pre-meditated murder," stated Harry in a calm voice.

Hermione stiffened, then relaxed. "You know me so well. And yes, you're right." She held him tighter. "It doesn't make sense to me. I want her dead, I want the cup. I want to make sure she can never hurt anyone else ever again. But I-" she hesitated, and thought for a moment. Harry just kept his arms around her, lightly rubbing the skin of her back.

"My entire being is rebelling against this," she finally admitted. "Yes, I've killed before. Yes, I've gone into situations that were killed or be killed. But I don't think I've ever sat down and lured someone to their death." Harry said nothing, he was just there, a comforting presence, a listening ear.

Hermione thought more, then continued. "Theoretically, I know Bellatrix deserves to die. She tortured me, she's probably tortured hundreds. She becomes the Dark Lord's right hand man- woman. She might already be responsible for the deaths of several people. But she-" She stopped again, but this time Harry continued for her.

"She seemed to normal, so likable at the tea. She sent shivers down your spine at the same time she half charmed you into believing everything she said. She was happy and beautiful and strange." Harry quieted as well. "She seemed dangerous and evil and at the same time right. She was compelling."

Hermione whispered into the thin material of Harry's shirt. "And it just seems so wrong to kill her, until you think about what she's done, and what she will do. And even then I don't want to do it. It was different when it was somewhere in the distant future."

Harry pulled his fiancee tighter. "It always is, I think. And that is what separates us from them." He had thought about this many times. What made him different from the people he might have been killing? He had no real way of knowing if all the Reductors and Cutting hexes were killing the people they were aimed at.

"They don't lose a moment's sleep over killing Muggles and Muggleborns. They laugh about it. And we are here, agonizing over killing a murderess. If there was one person who deserves do die in this world, it is Bellatrix Lestrange," he finished.

Hermione felt a few tears seep out of her eyes to wet Harry's chest. "I feel like such a bad person. I've wished for her death a hundred times, I've plotted and planned different scenarios in my head. And now that the time is near, I am plagued with doubts." She hated to feel so unsure of herself.

"Do you know how many people you've killed?" asked Hermione.

Harry thought for a moment or two. "At least one. No more than twenty. Unless all the marked Death Eaters died with their master. I really don't know." He held her even tighter, if that was possible, green eyes closed tight. "I don't want to know."

Hermione could hear his heartbeat, and it comforted her. When he spoke again, his chest vibrated with the quiet rumble of his voice. "Can you still love me, knowing that I've killed someone?" There was a type of silent pain in his voice, a strain that only Hermione would have heard and understood.

Hermione lifted her head so that she was looking him in the eyes. "I would love you even if you killed a hundred people," she said, her voice full of conviction. She tilted her head to the side, heavy curls falling over her shoulder, eyes absent as she searched her own soul. When she spoke, it seemed as if she had found what she had been searching for. "But what I guess I am asking is if you would still love me after watching me murder a woman in cold blood."

Harry looked up at the lovely woman who held his heart in the palm of his hand. "My feelings for you will never change. I loved you before I even knew who Bellatrix Lestrange was. I love you now. I will love you after she is dead, and I will love you until the day I die." He said all of this in a calm and matter-of-fact voice. The ring of truth was in his voice and the light of absolute certainty in his face.

Hermione relaxed against him. "Have you ever wondered if our love is," she paused. "I dunno. Fleeting? That we are moving too fast, too soon. That it is just infatuation and not the real thing?" she said aloud, mind not really in the moment. She noticed her mistake when Harry tensed.

"Do you think that?" he asked. She had just told him that she would love him even if he was a murderer. And he didn't doubt that. But...

Hermione gasped. "No, of course not. It was just something McGonagall said. She wanted to make sure I made the right decision by saying yes when you proposed. But I've thought about it sometimes, how intense it feels sometimes when I am with you. I was asking if it was normal," she said, trying to clarify.

Harry snorted. "No. Our love isn't normal. What about us is normal?" He smirked a bit when he saw a very rare expression cross Hermione's face. "Think about it," he advised. "Our first real conversations took place because we had just survived a life-threatening situation. All our bonds formed in dangerous situations that required absolute trust. I learned my lesson in the Devil's Snare, from then on, when you said to do something, I trusted you. That was why I didn't hesitate when you told me which potion to drink. I had a pretty good chance of ending up dying a horrible death if you were wrong. But I didn't even think about it. I've trusted you with my life for years, both knowingly and unknowingly."

Harry loved when Hermione was realizing something. It was like the sun coming over the horizon, an infusion of knowledge illuminating her face. "I believe you are right," she said, voice a little awed.

"I know," Harry said with a grin, glad the worries and doubts were gone. "I usually am." Hermione smacked his arm absentmindedly.

"Did I ever tell about what my mum said about boarding school friendships?" asked Hermione. When Harry shook his head, she continued. "Well, in boarding schools, the friendships a kid makes are important. The children he or she are friends with take the place of the family for ten months out of the year. So when they are in school, they are the best of friends, they know everything about each other. But after school, when they graduate, they are not with each other every minute of the day. The drift apart. My mum warned me that this would happen with my friends. That we wouldn't remain so close."

Harry wound his finger around one of Hermione's curls, playing with her wild hair, and thinking. "I'm not surprised," he said. "It makes sense, in more ways than one. So many marriages in the wizarding world happen just out of Hogwarts, because we see our school as our entire world."

Hermione let him play with her hair for a moment more, than rose slowly and stretched. "What a strange conversation we had."

Harry snorted again, and rose with her. "You can say that again." His eyes met hers, and his gaze softened. "But it was a necessary one. All the concerns raised were valid."

Hermione chuckled softly. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm going to go to Hogsmeade to send the letter."

Harry nodded. "Do you want me to go with you?" When she shook her head, he shrugged. "Okay. You'll wear one of the necklaces?"

"Yes," Hermione said, fingering the one around her neck. "I'll go as Blondie." Quickly, she changed into her illusion, running a hand through her hair and smiling at the feeling of the tangle free hair. "See you in a bit," she said with a wave.

The streets of Hogsmeade were empty of the usual flush of students that occupied it on the other occasions Hermione had been there. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, she walked quickly to the post shop.

"One owl, miss?" asked the middle aged man at the counter. His eyes widened perceptibly when he looked up from his _Daily Prophet._

Hermione took a shaky breath, and nodded. "Just one letter. My owl is sick." Her excuses made, she paid and he weighed the letter.

"Seven Knuts, please," he said pleasantly. "Thank you, just pick any of the owls with a blue tag."

Hermione walked over to the shelves, taking in the variety of owls whose legs held a blue tag. A majestic Barn Owl caught her attention, and it was he she chose.

With trembling fingers, she tied her letter to his leg. This was step two- send the letter. And then wait for a reply. The second step in pre-meditated murder. Wait for the subject to respond to the lure.

The bird hooted softly, then flew out the open windows of the shop. Hermione followed its progress for a few moments, then turned to walk out the door.

"Have a good day, miss," said the man at the counter, taking his eyes off her and returning to his paper as the bell over the door rang. "Hope to see you here again soon."

_Oh, no you don't,_ Hermione thought to herself. _I'm not going in there again if I don't have a very good reason._

When she returned to the tent, the Harry was pacing inside it. "You're going to wear down the carpet if you keep doing that," she remarked, walking in and turning off the glamour.

He heard her voice, and his head shot up. "You're back," he said, a happy smile on his face.

"Yes," she said, a wry smile on her own face. "I'm also wondering why you are pacing."

"That's easy," Harry said walking over to her, and nuzzling her nose. "I was worried. I don't like you going into this alone."

Hermione kissed his neck, the only part of him she could reach if she didn't want to pull his head down. "I'm not going to be alone. You are going to be right there. With me. Watching my back." Each sentence was punctuated with another kiss.

"You aren't worried about it anymore?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked him in the eye. "Yes, I'm worried. But I've realized that I have to do what I have to do. And if it gets any worse than that, I just need to think of Adelynne."

Harry shook his head. "You are an amazing woman, Hermione Granger. Do you think you'd like to marry me?"

Hermione laughed softly, and ran a teasing fingertip over the contours of his face. "I guess so. Do you promise never to forget our anniversary and my birthday?"

"I think I can do that," Harry said, the serious expression on his face given away by the sparkle of humor in his eyes. "But I might need a few reminders."

Hermione gasped in mock horror. "Oh, no. No reminders. You have to do this all on your own, Mr. Potter."

"So I just have to remember two dates?" asked Harry. "That is all? If I can do that, you would marry me?"

Hermione kissed his neck again. "Yes."

"The fact that I am astonishingly sexy and smart would have nothing to do with it?" Harry teased. "You would prefer-"

"That you would shut up and kiss me?" Hermione suggested cheekily. "Am I the only who thinks that is a good idea?"

Harry shrugged, and picked her up. "As the lady wishes," he whispered against her lips, losing himself in her taste.

~0o0~0o0~

Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Adelynne were gathered in the Room of Requirement, together creating a mood similar to that of a council of war.

"Harry and Hermione said that they need us to Polyjuice as them for the next two days," Lily said, holding the letter Hermione had sent her.

James and Sirius exchanged glances. "Everyone thinks that they're sick. So it's simple."

Sirius nodded, agreeing with his best friend. "They get better, two of us get sick."

Adelynne looked around at the group of friends sitting in plush armchairs around a table. "So who is going to get sick?"

James winked and her and gave a little bow in his seat. "Yours truly will play the roll of Harry Potter," he said with a pompous air.

Lily smacked his arm, and turned to her girlfriend. "You see, Polyjuice only gives the appearance, not the little habits and mannerisms that the original person has. The downside to this is, someone who is really close to the original person would eventually notice that their friend is not his or herself, and if he or she is smart will recognize the signs of Polyjuice impersonation."

Adelynne nodded in understanding. "So the best person to play another would be someone who knows how the original would react to everything."

"Exactly," Lily said with satisfaction. "That's why the best person to play Harry is James. They have just about the same mannerisms. And usually, people don't notice things like that. If they look like the person, they are the person, simple as that. But occasionally, the little details count."

Adelynne drummed her fingers on the table. "So I'm guessing that you are going to play Hermione," she mused aloud.

Lily nodded, pushing her red hair back with one hand. "Right in one," she said with a quick smile. "I'm probably closest to Hermione. It will still be a bloody difficult task to impersonate her without anyone knowing."

James leaned over and kissed Lily's cheek. "Don't worry, babe. If anyone could do it, you could."

"Shut up," Sirius said with an exaggerated pout. "You and Lily get to spend a few nights alone in Harry's rooms. Not fair."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I was the one who got them the room. It is only right that I get to use it too." Her chin was up in the air, and a snooty expression on her face. "And I highly doubt you would like to share a bed with James, Sirius."

Everyone laughed, and then returned to the business in front of them. "They gave us hair, and gave us the passwords to their room. The Polyjuice is in Hermione's trunk."

Peter frowned in thought. "Are you going to tell the professors?" he asked. "They will get very suspicious if you drink something every hour."

Remus nodded. "I think Minnie is the only one you really have to worry about," he said, brain racing. "Slughorn is half drunk most of the time, Sprout is focused on keeping Peter from killing himself..." he let his voice trail off. "I got it," he exclaimed. "I got it!"

"What?" asked Sirius sarcastically. "A case of dragon pox? Spit it out, Moony!"

Remus sneered at him and Sirius sneered back. Remus sighed. "I've got a way to distract the teachers. The four of us will create distractions so that you can sip the potion undetected."

James whooped and clapped his buddy on the back. "Great one, Moony. Always knew you were the smart one here."

"And thank you, Peter, for seeing the problem," Lily said kindly, earning a shy smile from the boy. "We might have gotten caught if it wasn't for you."

"That's good," Adelynne said. "So Harry and Hermione are better tomorrow?"

"Yep," Sirius replied. "And James and Lily will start coughing in the Common Room when we get back."

"Addie," Lily said seriously, "It is really important that you are the one to check on me tomorrow, the one to tell everyone that I'm sick and going to the Hospital Wing. Harry and Hermione said that Madam Pomfrey will help us."

Adelynne groaned. "Great. Now Alice will hate me for taking her place as your best friend."

"Alice will get over it," Lily said briskly. "She likes Hermione."

"Hermione's Hermione," was Adelynne's response. "Even Death Eaters like her."

~0o0~0o0~

"Bella! I'm so glad you're here-" Hermione said, eyes frantic and hand fluttering. "I-I-"

Bellatrix rushed over, dropping her bag in the process. "Hermione, darling. Calm down, please. Are you okay?" The look of concern in her eyes was genuine, and Hermione could barely stop herself from flinging those arms around her shoulders off her.

Hermione nodded, sitting back on the bed in the private room she had rented at the Three Broomsticks, rented under a false name of course. "I don't really know." Her acting skills were pretty good. She had fooled Umbridge in fifth year, not that it had been hard. But still.

Bella was sitting down next to her, hugging her. "I am so sorry. I brought the cup." The inner Hermione squealed with happiness. Bellatrix had bought the line about her health worsening hook, line, and sinker. Of course, the spells Hermione had used to worsen her pallor, to make her look thinner, and to make her appear faint and weak might have helped.

"Thank you," Hermione said, sobbing a bit more. "Thank you so much. Does the Dark Lord know?" The last part was asked in a fearful whisper.

Bella shook her head. "No. I did as you asked. I can understand not wanting anyone to know you were weak until you are healed. Are you sure?"

Hermione nodded. "I am definitely sure. I was walking with your slave and she mentioned that you had a golden cup that had healing properties. I asked her if it had a badger on it and she said yes." At the mention of Adelynne, Bella tensed, and Hermione pretended not to notice it.

Retrieving her bag, Bellatrix held up the golden cup within it. "So this is Hufflepuff's Cup."

"Yes," Hermione said. "Harry and I did some research. This can heal me. Forever. Thank you so much, Bella." She drew in a rattling breath, the special sound effect created with another handy little spell.

Bella nodded. "So the deal is clear. I let you drink from the cup, and you pledge your allegiance to the Dark Lord."

"May I see it first?" asked Hermione. "I want to be sure it is the one."

"Of course," Bella said generously. "I trust you." She handed the cup to Hermione, who couldn't help her shudder as she felt the malignant intent of the cup she was holding wash over her.

"This is the one," she said clearly, before handing it back to the woman before her. "I can never thank you enough, Bella."

"Stupefy," Harry said quickly, slipping off the Invisibility Cloak and catching Bellatrix as she fell, pocketing her wand. "It's the cup?"

"Incarcerous," Hermione said just as quickly. "Yep. I'll put it in the bag." She did as she said, putting the Horcrux in a special part of her bag. "Done."

"Okay," Harry said, looking down at Bella's prone body. "Let's get her away from here and in the woods. Interrogation, then death."

"Interrogation, then death," Hermione agreed. "In the most humane way possible." She withdrew a syringe from her beaded bag. "I'm going to inject her now. That way if she escapes us, she will still die quickly."

"We'll have two hours to look through her mind, that way," Harry said. "Okay. Inject her and I'll take Miss Black to the tent."

"Gotcha," Hermione said, emptying the needle into Bella's arm. "You two are good to go." When she withdrew the needle, her hands were shaking.

Harry tilted her head up and gave her a bruising kiss. "I love you, Hermione Jane Granger. We are saving hundreds of people, and taking down a piece of Voldemort. Nothing makes death okay, but many things makes death necessary."

Hermione nodded, and kissed him back. "Thanks, Harry. Now get her back to the tent and totally incapable of moving before I get back."

She Vanished the syringe, and activated her glamour so she was again the character she had named Blondie. "I won't be long with Tom. Don't worry."

Harry hefted Bella over his shoulder. "I will any way. See you soon."

"Bye," she said with a wave. He Apparated with a small crack, and she walked down the stairs, stopping where Tom was tending the bar.

"Hullo, Tom- right?" she asked. "I'm returning my room key."

A much younger Tom nodded, eyes drifting down her body before focusing on her face. "Room 9, I believe?"

Hermione let her face break into a perfect smile. "You remembered. My date didn't show so I'm going home."

Tom shook his head. "You look like a nice lady. Such a shame. Your man must be an idiot."

"I wonder sometimes," Hermione said with a laugh. "How much?"

"Just one Galleon," Tom said. "You want a drink?"

Hermione pulled the correct amount from her purse. "Nope. I want a clear head."

"Alright, Miss Cabot. Have a nice day, now." She smiled and nodded, before exiting the pub on the wizarding side and Apparating away.

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**Tell me what you think, as always. However, I am convinced no one is going to review to punish me for not updating. Please review. I'm desperate. **

**When school starts, I'm either going to get back on schedule, or go crazy with the workload. We'll see. **

**Check out my two other WIP, and my now working poll for Addie's love interest. The person Addie is based on says Sirius... But she has yet to return my call so I haven't been able to talk with her. (hint hint)**

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**Review, check out my poll, get ready for school!**


	33. She is Dead

**God I'm afraid you guys are going to kill me. Here is chapter 33. Don't murder me. Please!**

**I'm posting on a Sunday because I'm posting when I get them done now. **

**Remember when I said that school would either get me into a schedule or give me so much work chapters will be few and far between? Yeah. Option number two people.**

**Sorry. But please read and review to keep my spirits up and give me a reason to write. This has morphed from my own baby to something I do for you guys. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. **

**Read, and review please. Enjoy! This gets a little weird, I think.**

* * *

When Hermione finally appeared in the clearing, Harry already had Bellatrix tied to a chair the muggle way and bound magically.

He looked up at her footsteps, just in time to see her turn off the glamour. "That was fast," he said, surprised. "Tom didn't keep you forever at the bar?"

Hermione shook her head. "Nope. She can't move?" she asked, gesturing toward Bellatrix, who was unconscious, head lolling to the side.

"Not if I can help it," Harry said with feeling. "I took her wand, but I'm not sure if you want to break it or keep it."

"We can ask Adelynne what she wants to do with it," Hermione suggested. "She might want to snap it herself."

Harry nodded grimly. "I want to give her that at least."

"Shall we wake Sleeping Beauty?" asked Hermione with a fierce grin. The doubts were gone- the deed was done. All that was left was to find out what she knew. In its place was the desire to get justice for herself, to see the woman who had made her days and nights filled with helpless terror and endless pain suffer.

"Go ahead," Harry replied. "Do you want her to know who we are?"

Hermione considered for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. I want my face to be one of the last things she sees when she dies."

"Very well," Harry said. "You'll go through her mind?"

"Yeah," she said. "I am better at Legimency."

He shook his head. "Hermione, you're better at everything."

She started as if to disagree, then shrugged an nodded. "I guess so," she said with a smirk. At the outraged look on his face, she laughed. "Harry, I'm teasing. As far I as I know, you are better at defeating evil Dark Lords than I am."

Harry pouted in play, at the same time pressing his wand into the back of Bellatrix's neck. "I'm ready. Go ahead."

Hermione whispered the incantation, and watched as Bella slowly awoke. She didn't open her eyes, taking a wise moment to assess her situation before revealing she was awake and alive. They both knew however, Hermione could see the slack of unconsciousness fall from her face and Harry could feel the tensing of the muscles in her neck.

When she did open her eyes in the full knowledge that she was bound and weaponless with a wand pressing into the back of her skull, she gasped. "YOU!" she raged at Hermione. "You! Blood traitor! Filth! My Lord will hear of this! You have betrayed your own lives when you betrayed me!"

Hermione chuckled softly. "Bella, Bella, Bella," she said, her voice calm and friendly. "I'm afraid you are wrong, my dear." She laid a friendly hand on Bella's cheek, leaning down and gazing into her eyes. "You see," she continued. "I cannot be a blood traitor. I'm what your kind call a little Mudblood."

Immediately Bella began to shriek, fighting violently at the restraints. She was unable to move anything but her head, which thrashed trying to get away from Hermione's hand. Harry was about to restrain her head when she suddenly went still.

He watched as she froze, Hermione's eyes boring into the captive woman's violet depths. Only the slight rise and fall of her chest revealed that she was still alive, unaware of the poison moving through her veins.

The two women stayed that way for almost fifteen minutes, staring at each other unblinking and unwavering. Then suddenly Hermione recoiled from Bellatrix, straightening abruptly and blinking rapidly, completely ignoring the sobbing of Bellatrix.

Harry didn't move from his spot behind Bellatrix, although his arms ached to envelope Hermione. Instead, Hermione walked over to him, hugging him tightly from behind.

"What did you see?" he asked softly. "Anything important?" Hermione's eyes were darker than they usually were, and the tears in them were not only from the strain of keeping her eyes open.

Hermione nodded slowly. "Yes. Voldemort was furious that we got away with the diary. He tortured Lucius for hours."

Bella's body stiffened again, and she started her high pitched yelling once more. "You filthy little mudblood! You were the one who took my slave and the diary! I-"

A quick "_Silencio_," from Harry took care of that problem. "Go one," prodded Harry.

Hermione continued. "He doesn't know about the ring yet. And he hasn't asked his followers for a house elf. So I don't think he has made the locket yet. The diadem is inside Hogwarts. So we have the ring, the cup, and the diary. We are going to get the diadem. That is four. He hasn't gotten the snake yet, so five, same for the locket, six. He was number seven, and you were number eight. So we just have to get back to Hogwarts and get the diadem. Then we have to destroy all of them."

Harry nodded in agreement. "That sounds right. What about what he's been doing to recruit?"

"Just having his follower let leak that there is a Dark Lord rising in power. That he is the one behind all the collapsed bridges and the accidental deaths. The muggle murders. He has meetings for all his loyal followers, who he calls through the Dark Mark with the exception of Sev." Hermione paused for a moment. "We have to warn him that the Dark Lord does not completely trust him as of yet. He is curious about you and me, and was pleased with you when he met you. He wants us for our supposed connections to the Russians. "

For almost a half hour, Harry and Hermione discussed the information gleaned from Bella's mind. Finally, they had gone through all the details she had brought them about Voldemort. Bella was still bound in the chair, an expression of growing horror and anger on her face as she watched as they made sense of all the plans her Lord was making.

"And that is when he is going to approach the giant clans," Hermione finished. She and Harry stared a each other for a moment, before looking at their prisoner simultaneously. Hermione gave Harry a nod, and he lifted the Silencing charm. They both agreed Bellatrix had a right to face her murderer.

Hermione walked around the chair, until she was directly before Bellatrix.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," she said in an emotionless voice. "Speak now, if you wish to speak."

Instead of ranting like both Harry and Hermione fully expected her to, Bella just asked, in a plaintive voice, "Are you going to Oblivate me now?"

Hermione shook her head. "To risky for us."

"So you are going to kill me?" Bella said with rising panic in her voice. "Why?" Then in an a slight sob. "I thought you were my friend."

Hermione sighed. "I've been inside your mind, Bellatrix. Quit with the play acting. And technically, we have already killed you. The poison is moving through your veins. In about twenty minutes, you will start to feel faint. Then you will feel tired, and then you will just fall asleep. This time, you won't wake up."

Bella's face tightened, then smoothed out once more. _Pureblood composure at it's best,_ thought Hermione. _Even in the face of death, they will not allow themselves the possibility of getting wrinkles._

She tossed her head proudly. "Then I will have died in the service of my Lord," she announced. "They will remember my death and when the new order comes to light, they honor my name as that of a martyr of the cause."

Hermione bowed her head. "Even now, death not even an hour away, you cannot admit your views might not be right? What makes me so different from you? You believed that I was a Pureblood. Could you see then what made me mudblood?"

Bella's eyes examined Hermione's face closely. "It is not what you look like," she finally said. "It is inside of you. It is the part of you that will forever be a Muggle. You can never be a witch."

"But," Hermione argued. "What about what the Purebloods are doing to themselves, trying to keep their lines pure? Marrying cousins and uncles or aunts?"

"It is necessary," Bellatrix insisted. "Our magic will become weaker if we do not preserve our heritage. The impure blood will kill the magic!"

"You are killing the magic!" Hermione said, almost shouting. "The interbreeding and the children it creates is horrible! The muggles have studied genetics: the parts of us that make us, us. The material of a cell and what we get from our mothers and our fathers. And if our mother and father are related, then the genes are- they're warped. Not right. The child can be deformed or retarded. It is an abomination of nature!"

Bellatrix shook her head.. "No. That is impossible." All she had left was her belief. And she would not let anyone take it from her.

Hermione seemed to realize this, and sunk into herself, deflating silently. "Fine. I just wanted to ask you about Adelynne."

Bellatrix sneered, the expression of hate twisting her face until not a shred of beauty remained. "That little whore. She should have felt lucky to be in service to such a pure family, who would have the highest honor when the-" She stopped, intelligently considering the wand point she could feel digging harshly into her neck and the other she could see pointed between her eyes.

"It would be in your best interests not to insult our friends," Hermione said with a dangerous calm. Both Harry and Bellatrix could hear the freezing anger burning behind the smooth voice. "You see, we hold the power of life and death over you. Or, more accurately, the power of a painless versus a painful death."

"So you would torture me?" asked Bellatrix, one smooth eyebrow raising in a oft practiced motion. "You would Crucio me until I bleed from my eyes? You would carve delicious patterns on my skin? You would force me to service men I do not desire?"

"No," replied Hermione, still in that tone of deadly calm. "I am you. I am someone completely different. I might give you an poison that would leave you writhing in pain for days. Or I might say a quick Reduc-" She paused. "I probably shouldn't say it. I would hate to see what might happen if I say the incantation and feel so angry at the same time."

Harry continued for her. "We have chosen to give you a merciful death. One without pain, without suffering. We will not ask you to be grateful, but we ask that you acknowledge the respect we have given you by respecting our friends."

She just spat at Hermione's feet. "I refuse to spend the last minutes of my life in the company of Mudbloods. And I assume you are one as well?"

Harry chuckled. "Well, let's. I was born to James Potter, pureblood, and Lily Evans, halfblood, in the July of 1980. What does that make me?"

Bella laughed, a horrible desperate sound. "I am surrounded by mad people."

Shaking her head, Hermione "He isn't mad. We can tell you, I guess, since you are going to die soon."

Bella just scoffed, "Go ahead. Spout your crazy stories of the future. It's not like I can stop you."

Hermione nodded. "True. But wouldn't you like to know if you Lord rises to power?"

"Prove it to me," the woman in the chair said flatly. "Give me proof."

Hermione frowned for a moment. "I'm not quite sure how to do that. But I can tell you things about the future you would have had."

"But that isn't torture?" questioned Bellatrix. "That isn't what hurts the most? Taking away my life after telling me how it would have gone?"

Hermione shrugged. "It is up to you." She was fine either way. A growing excitement in her told her that soon the world she was in would be a world with out Bellatrix Lestrange. Bellatrix Black.

She laughed bitterly. "With choices such as these, how can I say no?"

Harry's voice become distant, as if he was speaking from the past- or from the future. "You did marry Lestrange. You became one of the most feared Death Eater in England. You tortured people, you killed people, all under Voldemort's direction."

Hermione cut in, eyes glaring coldly into Bella's violet depths. "And then Voldemort set out to kill Harry Potter. And Harry Potter killed him for the first time."

Bella went dead white, and she began to struggle again. "No. That is impossible. My Lord is immortal! He will never die!"

She walked slowly toward Bellatrix, reminding Harry of a large cat stalking her prey. "That may have been true the first time," she said carelessly. "And he did return when we were fourteen. And I met you for the first time when I was fifteen."

"I'm guessing I was trying to kill you?" Bella asked sweetly.

"Yeah," Hermione said, laughing. "You were."

Harry joined her in laughter. "We totally kicked your butt. But you were the only one who wasn't shipped off to Azkaban. Speaking of," he paused, and his previously friendly voice hardened. "That night you killed my godfather. I still haven't paid you back for that."

She recoiled, as much as she was able to without being able to move. "Well-"

"Anyway," he continued, "We fought on and off until you had us captive in your house."

Hermione bent down as close to Bella's face as she could stand. "You let him escape. With the artifacts you were supposed to protect."

Bella laughed in her face. "But I got keep you? How lucky of me."

Hermione's face tightened. "The pleasure was mine," she spat. "But your Lord sent me here, allowing me to kill you now."

Harry stepped around Bellatrix to stand aside Hermione. "And do you want to know who killed you?"

"Who?" asked Bella sarcastically. "You? Your little friend over here?"

"No," said Harry with a grin. "Molly Weasley."

~0o0~0o0~

Lily and James were standing in the center of the room, each holding a vial of Polyjuice. Surrounding them were the rest of the Marauders, plus Adelynne.

"It's the last time," Remus said with a relieved grin. "Only today and then you're done."

Lily yawned, and nodded. "Yeah. It's hard work pretending to be Hermione. Everyone expects you to be perfect. And she is friends with so many people."

James shrugged. "It's fun being Harry. It's like being me, but more people are afraid of Harry."

"I'm scared of Harry," Peter said with a roll of his eyes. "Haven't you noticed he's bloody scary? Or did you think those scars are spelled on?"

"Are you guys ready?" asked Sirius. He was eyeing the glasses of of Polyjuice in their hands, lounging on one of the couches in Hermione's living room.

"Yeah," Lily said. "I guess." She downed her vial, shuddering at the taste. She started to morph, shrinking, hair curling and darkening. She bent over, then straightened, robes hanging heavily on her small frame.

"Bottoms up," James said with a sarcastic smile. He gulped the golden potion, and winced slightly as his eyes changed color, he filled out subtly, and he grew a few centimeters taller. "Huh," he said, stretching. "That wasn't so bad."

"It's never that bad for you," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "It's 'cause you don't have that many characteristics to change."

James chuckled, voice a shade deeper than it normally was. "Yeah."

Lily smacked him upside the head, then adjusted her robes with her wand. "Idiot."

"I know," James said fondly, pressing a kiss to the top of Lily's now curly hair. "I'm an idiot."

"We are all idiots," Sirius said with a huff. "Can we go now? If we time it right like we did yesterday then you can take the second dose in the bathrooms before your first class."

The armchair Remus was lying on creaked as he rose. "Let's go before Mother has a cow."

~0o0~0o0~

"It's alright, darling. I love you. It will be okay," Harry said soothingly, holding back Hermione's hair. "Don't worry. It's over now."

He slowly raised his wand so that she could see it, then cast a quick spell to clean her mouth. "There you go. Do you feel better?" He was getting a little worried, knowing what was wrong but unsure how to help. Hermione wouldn't stop crying.

She just leaned her head against his chest, allowing him to pick her up and carry her to the tent. The evidence of what had just happened was evident in the chair still in the middle of the room, and the faint smell of a flowery and expensive perfume.

Harry set her down on the bed gently, kicking off his shoes and socks before attending to her own. He undressed her, leaving her in only her knickers. On the way to the small shower in the tent, he shrugged of his own shirt and trousers, leaving his glasses on the bathroom sink.

The entire time he was murmuring softly to her, reassuring her of his love, telling her how good she was, reminding her that it was all over.

Knowing her preferences, he turned the water as hot as it could go. He tested with a hand, winced, but stepped in anyway, still holding her in his arms. She shivered and flinched as the water hit her, then relaxed into the coolness of Harry's skin.

Slowly, gradually, she stopped crying. Hermione still clung to Harry with a single minded desperation, either unable or unwilling to let go. At some point they had sunk down to the floor of the shower, Harry holding Hermione in his lap as she sobbed.

Finally her shoulders had stopped shaking, skin bright red from the heat of the water. Harry reached up an arm and turned the water off, leaning against the cool wall of the shower.

"I love you," he whispered to her, lips caressing ear gently. "I love you now. I loved you yesterday. I will love you tomorrow. I will love you forever and a day."

Her large chocolate eyes were wide and vulnerable as they stared up at him, begging him to give her answers when she knew he had none. "How long will forever be?"

"Forever will be until the day the fabric of time and space itself is torn to shreds, and all the worlds end and all the stars explode. And the day after that is the day we will become one. The winds of time will cease to blow and the forges of war will sit rusty and unused. The day after forever will be the day that we will no longer exist in any memory, and the legend of our love will never pass through the lips of another person."

Her lips stretched into a crude imitation of a smile Harry felt was inexplicably beautiful. "You can be extraordinarily eloquent when you want."

His face broke out into a grin of pure relief. "I have a reason to be eloquent."

"And what reason would that be?" she asked him softly, knowing the answer but needing to hear it again.

His emerald eyes were soft and blazing with a warm fire that heated her insides and melted her mind. "I have this girl, you see. She's the smartest person I've ever met. By some extreme chance, I've managed to woo her. I have to use eloquent words and beautiful jewelry to keep her," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Her name is Hermione Granger, and if she wanted the moon I would bring it to her on a platter made of stars and forged in the sun."

He rose stiffly, and gathered her in his arms, pressing his face to her sopping curls. "I love you, Hermione Granger. I want nothing more than to make you Hermione Potter. I want your happiness, I want your safety, I need your love." His eyes pleaded with her. "Please tell me you love me. Please," be begged.

Hermione bowed her head, and kissed his chest. "I love you more than I ever dreamed was possible. Unrequited love can only languish for so long. I never could have imagined how much my love for you would grow when I could see you loved me too."

Harry kissed her forehead, then reached for his wand on the counter. He used a quick spell to dry them, allowing himself only a moment to admire Hermione's breasts before giving her a towel. She accepted it and wrapped it around herself, but shrank back from the door.

"Could you- could you take the chair out of there?" she asked timidly. "And maybe to a air clearing charm?"

"Of course," Harry said, wrapping the towel around his waist and slipping off his boxers under them. "Give me a couple seconds."

He emerged into the main room, incinerating the chair and vanishing the ashes, then doing an air freshening charm to get rid of the smell of Bellatrix's perfume. He did a spell Tonks had showed him before she died, gathering the clothes they had worn and giving them the same treatment as the chair. Both of them had foreseen this, taking care not to wear anything they were particularly attached to.

When the last syllable of the Vanishing Charm had crossed his lips, Hermione's head peered around the side of the door, followed by her body, still covered by the towel. She walked to the bag that held their clothes, choosing an overlarge top and a new pair of panties.

She crawled into the bed curling into a small ball and pulling the covers over herself. "I'm going to take a nap," she said drowsily. "Can we talk later?"

"Of course, love," he whispered, kissing her on the forehead. "We can always talk later."

Her eyes closed of their own accord, and Hermione drifted into sleep comfortable and warm, dreams having yet to begin.

Harry watched for a few minutes, then changed and walked out to the clearing where he had put the bone Bellatrix's body had been transfigured into. He picked it up, and looked at it curiously. That bone was a dead woman. Is a dead woman.

He hated playing God. During the actual act, he felt almost powerful, almost out of control. But with the feeling of absolute power came the sickly taste in the back of his throat, like the only thing keeping him from puking was the fact that he had to appear in control. And then when it was all over, he the heady feeling the adrenaline gave him disappeared in a woozy rush that left him feeling dizzy and sick.

He knew what they had done could very easily be defined as right: They had taken a woman who would murder hundreds of people off the streets: rendering her incapable of hurting another human being.

He knew what they had done could very easily be define as wrong: They had taken a woman who still had twenty years to live and cut her down, murdered her in cold blood: causing those who had loved her sorrow and pain.

In his mind, he had no choice in the matter. Bellatrix Lestrange- no, Bellatrix Black needed to die. He and Hermione had tried to make her death as easy and painless as possible, giving her a choice to be magically put to sleep before the numbness of her body became terrifying, allowing her to talk about what she wanted to before she died. But they had still killed her.

It had been a long time since Harry had believed in God. He knew Hermione still had faith, but he had not been raised in it and the only time he prayed was when he was in dangerous situation that had a high chance of getting him killed.

However, now he felt a strong desire to _know_: to be reassured that Bellatrix would be sent to Hell or Heaven or where ever she belonged, to know if he and Hermione would be sent to either Heaven or Hell for what they had done.

They were no longer in the middle of a war, they had no justification out side of Adelynne for killing her. They knew that she would become a murderess in their time, but would she become a murderess in this one? Would she still be the Bellatrix Lestrange they had known and hated without a Lord Voldemort? Would she still be violent and mad if she hadn't been sent to Azkaban?

Harry walked a bit further into the Forest of Dean, stopping a tall tree with wide green leaves. He used his wand to dig a hole at it's base, then dropped the bone inside the hole.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," he said softly. "Judge this woman as you see fit. I'm not sure if I just made a horrible mistake, or a good but hard decision. Help me, if you exist. God, you've given me a hard road to walk. I am thankful you've given me Hermione at least. But please don't put this choice before me again. Amen."

In a short time a mound of dirt was covering the hole, and the bone was no longer visible. He used his wand to carve a cross in the tree he had buried her under, marking her grave.

The walk back to the tent was quiet, the silence disturbed by only the slight crunch of his footfalls and the occasional chirp of a bird. The sun was sinking in the sky, not yet sunset but close.

When he entered the tent, pushing aside the flap and blinking as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light, he knew something was wrong. It only took him a moment to locate Hermione, alone in the small bed and crying silently in her sleep.

It was obvious she was having a nightmare, so he stripped and climbed into the bed with her, holding her warm body against his chest until she stopped shaking and sank into a restful sleep.

* * *

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	34. Return to Hogwarts

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**Wow its been a long time. Hope y'all are still there. This chapter is opening a door that will lead to the end of this story. The end is near. Very near. Like I think within ten chapters. Fifteen, max. Probably more like ten. Or five. I don't know yet. I just know that this story is coming to a end. **

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* * *

"It's bloody cold out here," Sirius complained. "And we are stuck in a godforsaken hut. In Hogsmeade. Why are we here again?" He was flopped across one of the torn couches, mauled by Remus in the midst of his transformations.

James smacked him upside the head. "Aren't you glad we are going to see Harry and Hermione again? Or at least Hermione?" The tall chaser was pacing nervously, hair a mess, eyes darting behind his glasses.

"What time is it?" Peter asked, yawning. "I'm sure it is an ungodly hour of the morning."

"Will you stop whining?" snapped Adelynne. "It is almost one o'clock. And Harry and Hermione should have been back by now." She glared at the boys, who glanced at one another and shrugged.

"Just dispelling the nervous tension," Sirius quipped, to break the silence.

The tall girl just gave him another death glare. "Be quiet, please, Sirius."

The group sat in silence for a few more moments, Lily winding a lock of fiery hair around her finger over and over, Sirius restlessly drumming his fingers across the arm of his chair, James pacing the room.

Remus, still pale and drawn in the wake of the full moon, checked the time again, then shook his head. "It's one fifteen. If they were going to be here-"

"They would be here," Harry finished for him, holding the door for Hermione to enter before stepping into the dilapidated room. Both were clad in only a simple pair of jeans and a sweater, and were carrying the equipment in their bags. The worn beaded purse was on Hermione's arm, and Harry held a small backpack.

"Hermione!" Addie shouted, running at the smaller girl and hugging her tightly. "Welcome back!"

Laughing, Hermione squeezed the girl in return. "Thanks, Adelynne." Blushing slightly, the beautiful girl stepped back, allowing Hermione to receive a warm hug from Lily.

The two girls clung to each other, Hermione taking comfort in the unassuming friendship offered by Lily, and Lily in turn reassuring herself that Hermione was safe and whole.

A shout awoke them to the commotion going on between the boys, who had gotten past the stage of awkward greetings and were now trying the pound the living daylights out of each other.

"Boys," Hermione muttered, shaking her head. "Do I get a hello?" she asked in a falsely cross tone.

Sirius was the first to step away from Harry. He gave Hermione a big hug, just adhering to the levels of propriety. "It's good to have you back, Hermione."

James was next, mussing her curls and giving her a kiss on the cheek, and he was followed by Remus, then Peter. Harry, meanwhile, was getting a tight hug from his mother, and a shy hug from the young girl he had helped rescue.

When all the greetings were finished, Harry put an arm around Hermione, and she leaned into him, both relatively unconscious of the gestures. They had grown closer in the time they had spent together, and while it had not been unexpected for the two of them to communicate non-verbally, it had been something comment worthy.

Lily watched the two of them, head tilted and green eyes quick. "Did you get everything you needed to get done, done?" she asked quietly, half aware of the answer.

"Not exactly," Hermione said with a wince. "We need one Horcrux that is at Hogwarts. And we might need access to the Chamber of Secrets, both for a safe place and a source of basilisk venom."

"This is bloody fascinating and all," Sirius called from the back of the room, "But can we start back to the castle? I don't want anyone to catch us for once."

The group agreed, and they started the narrow, cramped path back to the grounds of Hogwarts. Peter was first, as he was to slip out in his Animagus form, check to make sure no one was near, then pause the tree for the rest to exit.

The walk back to Hogwarts was silent, except for a few a few muttered oaths when someone stumbled, or a quick word of thanks when an arm was offered to step over a protruding root. All went as planned: Peter transformed, and with a shrill squeak, froze the Whomping Willow to allow the rest of the teens to leave the tunnel.

The quick run to the front doors was easy, as the waning moon still gave them enough light to see by. They quickly checked the Marauder's Map, ducking behind the tapestry that held a secret passage, and making it to Gryffindor Tower without encountering any teachers or prefects.

"Demonstrative," James hissed at the Fat Lady. "Wake up! Demonstrative!" The Fat Lady jerked awake, giving the Head Boy a glare, but swinging forward anyway. They entered, the warm comforting room, startling several busy house elves. Hermione noticed them cleaning a stain, presumably from a spilled bottle of ink. She looked at them, bit her lip, then looked away.

Harry noticed, and grabbed her hand, squeezing it softly. "Do they look happy?" he asked softly. "If you want to, you can ask them, you know."

She shook her head. "I know. I've gotten over it more or less. But it still bothers me a bit to see them working and try and help. I know they aren't mistreated here, but I still want to help them." She laughed lightly. "They would be insulted if I offered to spell the ink away. And their magic is better anyway. But still-"

Adelynne put an hand on Hermione's arm. "You are right, Hermione. But the house elves here are treated well, and they delight in making sure we live in a clean tower."

Hermione nodded, then kissed Harry's cheek quickly. "I'm alright. No need to get worried, love. She tightened her grip on his hand, the released it, walking toward the entrance to her rooms. She bid everyone goodnight, then gave the password and disappeared into the sitting room she shared with Harry.

Harry sank into the big squishy couch in front of the fire, eyes closed, and face tired. James was the one to ask the hesitant question.

"Is Hermione okay?" Sure, she looked better than ever, finally healthy and not stick thin. But there was a strange look in her eyes, and she once again walked like every step was painful.

Harry's eyes snapped open, and he sat up slowly. "Yes. No. Maybe. A little of both."

"The two of you did something she wasn't comfortable with," Remus guessed, on the mark as usual. "The reason you needed to appear as if you were here."

"James and Lily won't be blamed for it, will they?" asked Sirius, a bit angrily. "They won't-"

"Don't worry," Harry interrupted. "No one is going to find out about this. They might suspect something happened, but they won't know. Not for sure, anyway."

Lily discreetly stepped on Sirius' feet, keeping her face perfectly still as he winced. "Good. It's great to have you back," she said quickly, giving her son a kiss on the cheek, and straightening abruptly. "But I need to go to bed. G'night." She ascended the stairs to the girl's dorm quickly, and was soon followed by Adelynne.

When it was just the boys in the Common Room, James flopped down on the chair across from Harry. "So what did you two do?" The question was serious, and Harry thought tiredly that the expression on his father's face was probably the same on he got when he was talking about important things.

"We gathered the items we needed to find to kill Voldemort," Harry said wearily. "We eliminated a dangerous opponent. We came back. End of story."

The Marauders exchanged looks, then James stood. "So be it," he said with a forced smile. "I'm glad to see your ugly mug again then."

Goodnights were said all around, then Harry entered the suite he shared with his best friend. "Hermione?" he called, turning off the light in the sitting room, and walking into the bedroom. "Mione?"

"I'm in bed already," she replied, and Harry could see a shape in the dark roll over in the bed and turn on one of the bedside lamps. "The shower is open," she said, snuggling back into the blankets. "Hurry, please."

Harry just chuckled, and strode over to where she lay, brown curls spread on the pillow, eyes large and sleepy. He kissed her gently on the lips, and she brought a hand up to cup the side of his face. When he released her soft lips, he kissed her forehead, her nose, her eyelids, then recaptured her lips.

They kissed sweetly for a while, then he pulled back, telling her he loved her and slipping into the shower.

When he jumped back in bed, holding Hermione to his chest, he could feel her grin. "That had to be the fastest shower on record."

He just kissed the top of her head, and shrugged. "I dunno."

Squirming up his body, she kissed him again, letting her hair fall around them. "I love you."

"I love you, too." It was all that needed to be said, and they turned on their sides, Harry holding her lightly, and quickly fell asleep.

~0o0~0o0~

The next morning was languorous, the early morning sunshine streaming in through the window. Harry awoke first, opening sleepy green eyes to the soft light.

Soon alert, he didn't move, remaining almost motionless as he watched Hermione sleep. Her brow was smooth and calm, her breathing steady, her warmth comforting. He loved the way she nestled so closely to him, how they fit together so perfectly. She was so vulnerable when she slept; he could see traces of the Hermione of their third and fourth years in her face.

What would it be like, he wondered, to be able to do this every morning. Or to wake up to her watching me? Or even to be so accustomed to it, we just get up and go about our day? His gaze fell to the ring on her delicate hand, and he felt closer to her than ever before.

Gently caressing the soft skin of her stomach, marred only by the scar from their fifth year, he brought his hands up to cup her breasts, then down again, kissing the side of her neck, nipping lightly as she squirmed against him.

He watched as her eyes sleepily opened, and her full lips slid into a pout. He resisted for barely a second before brushing his lips with his own. The quick kiss made her smile as she rose from the heaviness of slumber, stretching and yawning adorably.

"What time is it?" she asked, more alert. "I hope we didn't miss breakfast."

He smirked at her. "It's only nine." He expertly ducked as she aimed a fist toward him.

"Harry!" she exclaimed. "We only went to bed eight hours ago!" She looked so put out, he had to struggle to hold back a laugh.

"You just said you wanted breakfast!" he teased, then kissed her forehead. "We can go to bed early tonight."

Hermione pouted, but nodded, getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom. "Fine. But you owe me, Mister."

His eyes followed her, and she shivered a bit as they turned a slightly darker shade of green. "I owe you," he promised.

After a quick shower each, they dressed and walked hand in hand into the Common Room. As it was slightly early, most of the early risers were already at breakfast and those who had chosen to sleep in were still in bed. The Common Room was almost empty, save for a few third years in a corner.

They walked to the couch closest to the girl dorms, Harry pulling Hermione into his lap. She had brought a large book with her, and she read while he played with her hair and kissed her neck softly. It was not long before Lily was awake, appearing at the staircase with an impeccable uniform, long red hair pulled into a sleek ponytail.

She waved to them, walking over and plopping down next to Harry. "Morning," she said cheerfully. "Addie will be out in a moment."

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. "How is she doing?"

"Excellent," Lily said confidently. "She loves learning here. Almost all her professors are impressed with her. The only thing that was making her unhappy was worry for the two of you." Lily frowned slightly, brow wrinkling. "We were all worried about you. You gave us quite a scare."

"We're sorry," Hermione nearly whispered. "But it was important." She leaned back into Harry, taking comfort in the strong arms that were wrapped around her. "Very important."

A pattering of footsteps on the stairs turned their attention toward the girl's dorm. They were not very surprised to see Adelynne bound down the stairs, grinning happily. "Hermione!" It touched Hermione's heart to see the girl so excited to see her, and so she stood and gave the much taller girl a hug.

"How are you doing, dear?" she asked, kissing her cheek. "I'm sorry Harry and I had to leave so quickly."

"I'm okay," Addie replied, eyes flashing for a moment. "Some nightmares and stuff. But I'm learning so much!"

Hermione was slightly shocked to see the exuberant girl who had risen from the dark place she herself had once inhabited; abet for a much shorter time. The woman-child she had met in the midst of Malfoy Manor was gone. This was a more or less normal fifteen year old girl, and as happy as it made Hermione to see her happy, she knew from experience that it probably was not what the girl was really feeling.

"That's great, Adelynne," Hermione said, looking into the liquid eyes of the Italian girl. "We'll talk later, okay? I have something for you anyway."

Loud voices on the stairs alerted the girls and Harry to the impending arrival of more students. From the amount of noise they were making on a Saturday morning, it was no surprise that it was the Marauders.

Morning greetings given all around, they all walked down to breakfast, Harry and Hermione quizzing Lily and James about the last week.

"Did we do anything someone might ask us about?" Hermione whispered. "Any conversations?"

"Not really," Lily replied. "Just the basic, 'Hello, how are you's.' It was clear that you were still feeling under the weather."

"Any important gossip or information we should know?" Harry asked.

James shook his head. "No." He paused then nodded. "Yes. Um, there is a Transfiguration test on Wednesday. And Will needs to talk to Hermione about something."

Lily gaped at her boyfriend. "James!"

"What?" James was eyeing her nervously, well aware of what could happen when Lily Evans had that particular look on her face.

Hands on hips, and eyes narrowed, Lily spat, "You didn't tell me that Will want to speak to Hermione."

Hermione sighed. "It was probably a good thing. No one acted too weird when you said something?" She smiled softly as she deftly steered the conversation away from a budding argument. Even if they loved each other, Lily and James had a rocky start to their relationship.

A quick rendition of what had occurred the time they had been gone was finished by the time they got to breakfast. Harry and Hermione looked at each other and laughed, sliding into their seats.

James sighed. "And the Spook Breakfast Routine returns," he said wincing slightly. "Lily and I couldn't do that. We tried, but..."

"We failed," Lily said bluntly. "Miserably."

"Did you fail miserably in the Great Hall?" asked Harry, worried. If someone had noticed, well, it could be bad.

James shook his head. "We aren't idiots. We tried to practice first."

Breakfast went smoothly, James and Lily being congratulated on their recovery. Alice and Mary were particularly glad to have Lily back, both disliking the tall Italian girl who had recently come to Hogwarts.

But it was sixth year who was part of Amanda's little clique that caught Lily's attention. This girl was tall and white, and had a reputation as a blood purist. She was in Gryffindor though- it wasn't hard to see as she could barge into situations that had nothing to do with her and come out on top. She stopped by their section of the table to see Lily, simpering, giggling, and sending little glares at where Adelynne was eating and joking with Sirius.

"She's as bad as Hermione was when she came," Agnes said snidely. "Always screaming in her sleep. We can hear her from the next room. If she has bad dreams, she should really get some Dreamless Sleep or something.

Lily gaped at the black-haired girl for a moment. "Agnes," she said, a tight calm permeating her voice, "Tell me you didn't just say that."

Hermione was listening with rapt attention, clutching Harry's hand in a painful death grip. She too was fighting down anger.

Agnes quailed under the fierceness of Lily's green eyes. "Lily! She's only fifteen! What does she have to be-"

"Plenty," Hermione said calmly. "Plenty that you don't know about. Somethings you cannot know about. And somethings you may learn about in the hours before your death."

Agnes recoiled, shying from the fury she imagined in Hermione's voice. "Sorry," she said, voice trembling. "It's just-"

"You are a girl," Hermione spat scathingly. "You don't know. Simple as that. Ignorance."

Harry, who had carefully been affecting disinterest, glanced over at Agnes. "Agatha, right?" he asked, and without stopping to let her correct him, continued. "If you don't like the noise, get ear plugs. End of story." He stood, without letting go of Hermione's hand.

"Ready, love?" he asked, ignoring Agnes to all appearances. "I believe we should leave for Transfiguration now if we want to be early."

The rest of the Marauders followed Harry's lead, leaving the table. They dropped Adelynne of at her Charms class, then left for Transfiguration. Hermione let go of Harry, dropping behind to talk to Lily.

"How is she really doing?" Hermione asked in a low voice. "Screaming in her sleep?" She sounded incredulous, and rightly so. It had been less than a hour ago when Lily had told her Addie was fine.

The boys in front of them were paying close attention to the conversation, all the while trying to seem like they were doing anything but. However, Hermione noticed that the volume of their jokes ha decreased, and they all looked like they were concentrating as hard as they could.

Lily blushed in shame. "I didn't want to worry you- or make you feel guilty for leaving-"

"You're right," Hermione admitted. "I would have been worried and guilty. But you should have told me."

"Right, but-" Lily paused, and a hard look glimmered over her features, then disappeared. "Nothing. You're right."

Inquisitive nature taking over, Hermione pushed harder. "But what, Lily?" The tension between the two girls was thick, and Hermione found herself discreetly fingering her wand. The time she had spent alone with Harry, acting like they were in their time, had brought back the fighting instincts that she had allowed herself to push to the back of her mind.

The red-head was still hesitating, and the boys had slowed as well, now obviously listening. Lily gathered her courage, and spoke, saying, "You aren't going to be here forever, Hermione. You are going to go back to your time. Addie is not your responsibility. You can't take her back with you." She was trying be as gentle as possible with the harsh words, pity evident in her green eyes.

"So I can't let myself get too attached?" Hermione said furiously. "Or is it the other way around? She can't get to know me too well because I'm going to leave?"

"No!" Lily protested. "Hermione, don't twist my words!" They were almost at the Transfiguration classroom now, and the girls could see that there were plenty of people waiting for McGonagall outside the door.

Hermione's face grew composed, features appearing carved from ice. "We can finish discussing this later," she said, eyes hard and cold. "Agreed?"

"Hermione-"

"Is that acceptable or not?" Hermione said frostily. Lily was thrown off balance, having never seen Hermione like this before.

"Uh, fine," Lily said, watching helplessly as Hermione swept into class, moving powerfully and gracefully. Her face was a mask, and she was twirling her wand in her fingers, the thin baton emitting angry red sparks.

Harry approached her, eyes soft. "Don't worry, Lily. Give her time to think about it. She knows you are right. She just doesn't want to admit it. Hermione hates being wrong."

"I knew that," Lily said, hurt in her voice. "I just didn't know she gets so, so, so _cold_." Lily shivered slightly, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm her best friend."

"And you've hurt her," Remus replied thoughtfully. "You've made her face something she doesn't want to face."

James wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "It's okay, Lily Flower. Hermione's not the kind to stay mad forever."

Harry winced at this. "I've seen her like this only a few times before. Hermione really loves you guys. All of you. But Addie is personal. Very personal. She saw it as Lily attacking her relationship with Addie. And for that girl, Hermione would fight until her last breath."

"She wants to protect everyone," Lily said sadly. "I need to talk to her."

"Giver her some time to cool down first," Harry advised. "Right now, she is feeling the cold anger. Watch her in class, she is going to work as hard as she can. Then she will think it over and calm down a bit. And then she will just feel guilty."

"Okay," Lily nodded, then started walking toward the Transfiguration classroom. The group entered, Harry splitting off to join his fiancee at her table.

Hermione was sitting, back ramrod straight, eyes focused somewhere in the space in front of her. When Harry laid a hand on her arm, her head snapped to face his, making no other motion. Her pupils were pinpricks, and she was breathing fast.

"Mione, love," he said his best soothing voice. "Lily-"

"Later, Harry." She interrupted bluntly, voice clipped. "Professor McGonagall is starting."

He just sighed, and tried to take her hand under the table. He tried not to let it hurt him when she pulled her hand away, knowing that right now, she was unreachable.

All she was doing was trying to help and protect a girl who had gone through hell. However, Hermione had never been good at recognizing her limitations. Third year was a good example. She didn't want to admit she couldn't handle the class load, and it took her a year and a near-death experience with a were-wolf to give in. Now it was the same thing, but it would hurt more people than just herself if she did not try to accept that they would be leaving.

Harry did not want her to distance herself from Adelynne entirely, of course not. But Hermione needed to prepare Addie for the day when Hermione would no longer there. And Lily was right in that Hermione could not take Addie back with her. He knew that Hermione felt responsible for Addie, having worried over her like a new parent at work on the first day of nursery school.

His thoughts were brought back to the present when McGonagall passed out the rocks they were to Transfigure into tortoises.

"Begin!" the Scottish professor announced. McGonagall started to walk along the rows, observing the struggles to convert a senseless stone into a proper tortoise.

"This year is your last chance to prepare for the N.E.W.T.'s. Your success on these exams mostly depends on your work ethic. But for Transfiguration, your passing grade relies on your ability to transfigure living creatures into nonliving, and nonliving into living." McGonagall paused in her lecture, gazing at Hermione in shock. "Congratulations, Miss Granger, on your non-verbal transfiguration. Look class, at how her tortoise's shell does not look like the pattern of the rock she began with. Have you practiced this spell before, Miss Granger?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, Professor."

McGonagall's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Well. Fifteen points to Gryffindor for being the first to learn the spell, and successfully cast it. Five more points for the non-verbal casting."

McGonagall continued the lecture, watching as more and more people failed at the spell. Unlike most days, Hermione did not go around the classroom offering whatever aide she could provide. Instead, she remained at her desk, making minute changes to her tortoise.

Harry, on his part, struggled with the visualization part of Transfiguration. The wand movements were difficult, and the words occasionally hard to pronounce, but the act of imagining a solid, stationary rock transforming into a living, breathing tortoise was the difficult part.

Usually, Hermione could help him with his visualization, but it seemed that she was unwilling to talk to him at the moment. Harry struggled for a while longer, before finally achieving the spell. Like Hermione, he had found that Transfiguration was the only class in which he learned something new. This accounted for his struggles, and he found that he often finished early. Today, distracted and worried, he finished only fifteen minutes before the end of class.

Charms passed in much of the same manner, with Hermione demonstrating the formidable power of her mind when she made herself focus tremendously on anything.

On her part, Hermione felt cold. Just cold. She didn't want warmth. She wanted the cold. The cold helped her think. She could feel the swift rush of the magic pulling itself from the area around her heart. She didn't have to think about her conversation with Lily.

Of course, she did anyway. She loved these people. And she had already lost so many. She wanted to stay in this dimension.

But, on the other hand, she wanted- no needed- to get back home. She longed to see her parents, to see Luna and Neville, and Ron. Even if he had become insufferable and he ate too much and was rude, they had been friends since she was eleven. He was like an annoying little brother- the one that could be a pest one minute, the one who could be sweet if he wanted. She missed her family. Her friends.

But here she was happy. The war was coming, but she had Harry. She loved Harry. The other thing that was bothering her was how she was treating Harry. She longed to reach out for his hand, to caress his skin, to walk down the corridors with his arm around her shoulders.

But she didn't. She was was scared, worried, ashamed, and she both wanted to be alone, and with Harry. Habit ruled- in the past when she had felt like this, she had chosen to be alone. But this time, that would not work.

She knew Harry was watching her all through Charms class, observing the crisp, powerful wand movements. She loved the drain on her magic, performing the charms silently and then wandlessly. They both took more effort, but she was feeling so powerful- to powerful- and she had to do something to make it better.

Charms ended, and Hermione rushed out the door, walking toward the Room of Requirement. She felt an intense need to release her magic. She was angry and sad and mad at herself and at Lily for pointing out what she had been avoiding.

Harry knew where she was going. They had a free period before lunch, and if he knew Hermione at all, she would be going to the Room of Requirement to blow off figurative and literal steam.

Lily was distracted in her classes, and she had done worse than usual, and as a result she had homework. However, she could not bring herself to care.

Now she was really thinking about what she had said, and what it meant for her. Hermione was one of her best friends, and it was a great friendship, considering she barely knew the girl. Lily was fully aware that Hermione had issues- any normal person would have issues if they had been through the kind of things Hermione had been through.

Hermione hated being weak. And she hated seeing her friends hurt. This meant that she felt that she had to help everyone, do her absolute best to care for them and protect them from anything that might dare to try and harm them. Hermione had limited time to protect her and the Marauders and the people of this dimension from the horror that Voldemort would become. Either she and Harry would succeed- or they would lose. And they would be leaving soon.

Hermione would be leaving. Harry would be leaving. They would never see them again. Lily knew that the chances of her and James conceiving Harry again would be slim- almost nonexistent because of all the changes that had been made to the timeline.

But Hermione still had a good chance of being born in this dimension. Would she ever be complete without her Harry? Lily's musings wondered. Will I meet her? Will she become my son's best friend?

Harry she loved like a mixture between friend, little brother, and son. But there was also that part of him that there also was in Hermione- the sense that they were much older than they appeared.

She would miss Hermione dearly. She knew the boys would miss their bossy little Gryffindor girl who had landed in the grass not far from the lake one October day.

Lily had read the same passage in her book several times over. She looked up, clearing her stuffed head in time to see Harry leave the Common Room.

"Where's he going?" she asked Sirius, who was looking at the portrait hole Harry had just vacated.

"To go get Hermione," Sirius replied, twirling his wand over his fingers. "Lily?"

"Yeah," she said, thoughts a million miles away.

Sirius blushed lightly. "Do you think Addie likes me?"

* * *

**Okay. I wanted to end on a lighter note. There will be more angst in the next chapter. I love angst! It is so fun to write!**

**School is burying me, using myself. They are making me dig my own grave for a grade, having me write a report on it, research ways to die, and contrast and compare them. I have been writing this chapter in the spare free time I have. If it seems disjointed, that's why. **

**Thank you to those who reviewed my baby, _The Truth of 1995._ That story is my toddler, and this one is my teenager. TTO1995 wants more reviews. Only four people reviewed it last time I updated. The time before that, I got sixteen reviews for one chapter. What is wrong with you people? :) Why do I love you anyway? **

**Ugh. Go vote on my poll, for TTO1995. Review this. Live long, happy lives while I struggle with school. Don't expect another update for sometime. And sorry for the massive ANs.**


	35. AN

**Author's Note:**

**First, sorry to everyone who thought there would be a new chapter. This is just an author's note. Sorry. Really. **

**Second, I'm sorry again. A recent review made me realize it had been around a month since my last update. To make this short and simple, I have writer's block. I wrote about four pages of Chapter 35, about ten times. Nothing I'm writing is sounding right. It is corny and fake and doesn't make much sense. That plus real life is getting in the way. But usually I write chapters for this in my study halls and business classes. **

**Third, for my super-big-huge-enormous project that will determine my entire future, I am writing a short story. That is where most of my writing time has been focused on. It has been taking up most of my time right now. It has to be done around Thanksgiving, so that means hours of editing. The teacher who told me I suck at writing is the one who is grading this huge project. I have to make this as good as possible. I am thinking about posting it on FictionPress for all of my amazing and faithful readers who help me with making things sound better. I hope you can understand why this is coming first. I have so many ideas for this story (Untitled) but when I try to write for TWOT, nothing comes out. **

**Lastly, I need to thank you for sticking with me. I promise I will finish and post this chapter as soon as it doesn't sound like crap. Forgive me for the Author's Note. I just wanted to let y'all know I haven't forgotten about you, and I am trying to write Chapter 35. In the meantime, I will be doing some editing of the middle chapters. I've done up to Chapter 10. It is embarrassing to see how I used to write. I also sucked up my pride and took some harsh advice. I think the chapter is better for it.**

**Once again, SORRY. I can say it a hundred times if it will make you all feel better. I'm working on it. **

**A Very Apologetic Ausland.**


	36. More Problems

**I overcame! The end to my writers block has come (somewhat) and this is the result. It isn't perfect, but it is far better than it was. It's short- deal. I wanted to get you guys a chapter right away.**

**I also wanted to tell you that I posted an original story at FictionPress, the site for original fiction. If you guys want to help me out with an enormously important project, go to the link after you read (and review- please?). I need feedback to do the reflection part of the project.**

**And one more thing- I want to thank everyone to reviewed to encourage me to continue writing this story, and tell me that it was okay that I had writers block. They were extremely uplifting, and made me feel so loved!**

**Enjoy the chapter, even if it slightly shorter than usual. Tell me what you think!**

* * *

Hermione stumbled down a sunlight corridor to a window bench, exhausted. She collapsed on the bench, allowing her head to fall back on the cool stone walls of the castle. Giving herself a moment to breathe, Hermione turned to look out the window at the thawing earth, watching as a group of second years trudged back to the castle from Herbology.

The fading tear tracks on her cheeks had been drawn when she let herself rage at false opponents in the Room of Requirement, lashing out with her magic to bring them down. She had fought and she had won- as much as she could win against a simulation. With her hair free and loose and her uniform exchanged for a simple shirt and jeans, she had made a frightening figure- eyes streaming, hair standing on end from pure magical power, sweat dripping down her back.

Now though, no trace of that warrior remained, Hermione once again in a pressed and pleated skirt, white button down, and robe that was the Hogwarts uniform for a young Gryffindor girl in the seventies. Her hair was calm again, forcefully charmed down into a long braid. Her Mary Janes were shined, and her socks were neat. Everything was perfectly in place.

She rested for a while longer, then rose slowly. She would be sore the next day, for sure. Lovely. She looked out the window once more, and, determining dinner would soon start, turned to go down to the Great Hall. The corridors and staircases were strangely empty as she descended to the ground floor.

The silence as well as the past three hours spent fighting made her jumpy, a feeling Hermione hated. When she heard the footsteps echoing behind her, she spun and the point of her want was pointing slightly to the left of Will's nose.

The shock in the blond boy's face was laced with fear, the glint of worry evident in his eyes. "Hermione?"

When she didn't lower her wand, Will raised his hands, showing her they were empty. He walked toward her slowly, speaking in a low and gentle voice. "Hermione. It's me. I'm sorry I frightened you. You can put away your wand now." She was breathing hard, but she heard him.

"Sorry," she exhaled, lowering her wand until it pointed at the floor. "Sorry." Calley smiled, relief washing over his handsome features.

"No problem, Granger. Are you hungry?" He gestured to the hall in front of them. "I just wanted to say hi. I really am sorry for scaring you."

Hermione shook her head. "Wasn't your fault. The silence was creeping me out."

"Everyone's at dinner," Will mentioned, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. "Why weren't you?" He looked her up and down. "You still can't afford to miss that many meals." He softened the comment with a charming smile.

Hermione snorted. "Thanks, Calley. I was walking to dinner." They walked in the silence that had so unnerved her earlier. As they got closer to the large wooden doors that marked the Great Hall, they could hear the dull roar of the students eating and talking.

Calley held open the heavy wooden door for her, and she nodded her thanks. They parted ways as they walked into the Hall, each sliding into an available seat at their house tables

"Hey," Hermione said quietly, taking a place by Harry. Cautiously, she reached for his hand, smiling with relief when he took it.

Lily looked just as tentative as Hermione felt. "Hey." James' arm around her shoulders calmed her, and she leaned into him. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Hermione admitted softly. "I wasn't angry at you. Not really." She gripped Harry's hand tighter. "But I do need to speak with Addie. After we eat."

The younger girl's eyes darted between Hermione and Lily. "The two of you fought?" she asked incredulously. "Over me?"

Hermione winced. "That makes it sound bad. But something like that." Lily nodded her agreement.

"Potatoes?" asked Sirius, handing the bowl to Hermione. "All this apologizing is great, really. But I think Hermione needs to eat, and we to talk about happy things." She laughed, and spooned the mashed potatoes on to her plate, and Harry's before passing it to Remus.

"Okay. What did I miss?"

As they were walking up to the dorms, Hermione reached out and touched Adelynne's arm lightly. "Can we talk, Addie?"

The taller girl looked down on Hermione, then looked at Lily. "And Lily?" she asked.

"Not this time," Lily said, shaking her head. "This is something that is between you and Hermione."

Looking a bit uneasy, Addie followed Hermione through the Common Room to Hermione's private rooms. Hermione flicked her wand, calling a teapot and tea cups from a small cabinet, along with a packet of tea. She conjured hot water, and added the tea. The two girls sat in silence until it was ready, and Hermione poured it into two cups.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Hermione?" Addie asked, voice low and musical. "Is everything all right?"

Hermione frowned. "No. Not really. And I wanted to ask you how you were really doing." At Addie's startled expression Hermione smiled grimly. "You're forgetting that I was a prisoner of dearest Bella for a time."

"You're right," Addie replied, still surprised. "I did forget. Did she-" She paused, unable to go on. Hermione reached across, and placed a hand on her knee.

"I never went through all the things you went through," Hermione said bitterly. "You had it far, far worse than I did. And it kills me that all of this happened to you. I know you don't think you're a child, dear, and you're not. But you should be, and that is what angers me."

Addie nodded slowly. "I'm not okay. I have horrible nightmares. And once, Sirius hugged me and I almost screamed. And…" Her voice trailed off. "Does it ever go away?" Her dark eyes were boring into Hermione's own, pleading and desperate. Hermione could feel the burning anger rise, and fall with the knowledge that Bellatrix was dead.

"I'm not going to lie to you," Hermione said firmly. "It doesn't go away. But it does get better. And I can forget sometimes when I'm with Harry." She set down her empty teacup and rose from her chair to sit next to Adelynne on the couch.

"But I don't have a Harry," Adelynne said mournfully. "I have no one but you and Lily." Those words tore at Hermione's heart, reminding her of what she needed to tell Addie. How could she tell this girl who needed her that she would be leaving?

"You do have people who care for you, Addie," Hermione said firmly. "Remus and Sirius will protect you as best they can. Harry already thinks of you as a little sister. And you are already making friends here at Hogwarts." She hugged the Italian girl, and pressed a kiss to the top of her black hair.

Suddenly, Hermione smiled. "I have something for you," she whispered to the girl. "Let me go and get it." Hermione hurried over to her bedroom, and retrieved a long black wand from her pack. She shuddered slightly as she felt the malevolent aura of the dark wood, so infused with the personality of its mistress.

She composed herself and returned to the sitting room, where she presented the wand to Adelynne, who took it curiously and gasped, almost dropping it on the carpet.

"What is that?" Adelynne spat, accent growing thicker. The girl's eyes were wide, and her hands were shaking.

Hermione winced. "It is the wand of Bellatrix Black." As she saw the realization grow on Addie's face, she nodded. "We took her wand after we ki- after she died. Bellatrix can never hurt you, or anyone else ever again."

"You took her wand?" Addie asked incredulously. "After you killed her?" She seemed not to notice when Hermione winced, being far more interested in the wand she held gingerly, turning it to lo at it.

Hermione nodded, returning to the position she had occupied before, next to Addie. "Harry and decided you should have it. You can keep it as a trophy, or you can snap it. It is up to you." Addie nodded, still fascinated by the wand.

"You don't want it?" Addie asked. Hermione could see it on her face as her emotions changed from curiosity to hate. "She hurt you with this as much as she hurt me." She had gotten a bit of the story from Lily, when they were waiting for the healing ritual to be finished.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione refused. "No. I never want to see that wand, or hear the name of Bellatrix Lestrange- Black- ever again." Hermione hugged herself unconsciously, closing her eyes for a moment. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Snap it," Addie said, holding up the length of black wood, "And then throw the damn thing in the fire and watch it burn." She turned her head to regard Hermione appraisingly. "Do you want to be there?"

Hermione looked at the wand, then broke into a feral grin. "Of course." She pointed her wand at the empty fireplace and concentrated briefly, grinning even wider when the logs in the grate burst into flame. "Now?"

"Yep," Addie said with a grunt, taking the wand in two hands. The Italian girl brought the wand down hard on her knee, and both girls felt the magical backlash when it bent, then snapped. Adelynne took the pieces, and gracefully tossed them into the hot flames. They watched the pieces burn together, Hermione resting her head on Addie's shoulder.

When the last splinter had turned to ash, Hermione took Addie's hand and began to speak in a serious tone. "You know Lily and I fought today."

"About me," Addie said with a frown and a nod. "Why?" _Time to face the music, Hermione._

There was the barest hint of a tipping up of Hermione's lips as she spoke. "Because I didn't want to face the facts." She squeezed Addie's hand, and gave the younger girl a melancholy smile. "You know Harry and I aren't from this place. This time. How much has Lily told you about us?"

"Not much," Adelynne admitted. "Just that you were here, and that you were preventing the horrors of your time from happening again." She reached back and gathered her thick black hair into a pony tail, a habit she had picked up from Lily.

Hermione nodded. "That's right. We were sent here by Lord Voldemort when Harry tried to rescue me. Harry was anchored to our dimension, but when he lost that anchor he was sent here." She paused then, resumed the story. "I came in October, and Harry came in December. We will hopefully both return to our dimension in June."

"June?" Addie said in a wobbly voice. "You're leaving?" Hermione couldn't look at Addie, but she could hear the tears in her tone.

Nodding, Hermione stared at the fire instead of the girl. "Yeah. The Summer Solstice. According to my calculations, Harry and I will be sucked back through time and space to land back in our time." Faces flashed before her in an instant. Ron, Neville, Ginny. She felt a stab of longing for each of them.

She was surprised when she felt the warm weight of Addie clutching at her robes, sobbing on her. "You're leaving me?" the younger girl asked.

"I don't want to," Hermione said, eyes starting to burn. "I don't want to. I've known for months. I understand if you hate me." It wasn't like her to be like this. Usually it was Harry who was insecure like this, not her. She was the one who reassured him that no one would hate him.

Addie sniffed, and shook her head. "I don't hate you. But I wish someone had told me earlier." She was quiet, for a few more moments, taking deep breathes to calm the hiccups. "Why did you and Lily fight?"

"Because she thought it would be easier for you if we weren't too close when I left," Hermione said sadly. "But she doesn't know." Addie nodded.

"You know what I went through. I know what happened to you. Lily doesn't. How can she?" Addie laughed bitterly, sounding, Hermione thought, far too old for her fifteen years. "She's really lived a charmed life, hasn't she? Beautiful, smart, talented. She has an amazing boyfriend who loves her and she had never had to fear for her life."

Hermione just squeezed the girl tighter. Making a hasty decision, she started to speak. "You know, Lily is dead where I come from. She died trying to protect Harry. She too has been touched by the war. But you are right. She doesn't understand."

"You must think I'm a horrible person," Addie whispered. "I like Lily, she's nice. But no one else knows!" She finished in a strained yell. "I hate Bellatrix. What do you do with all the rage?"

Hermione touched her small hand to the curve of Addie's cheek. "You use it to make you stronger. Learn how to defend yourself. Try and forgive her." At Adelynne's snort, Hermione quirked a smile. "Yeah, it seems impossible. But Bellatrix Black was a very disturbed woman. She had a horrible childhood, she was lonely, and she was surrounded by death and the pureblooded mania since the day she was born."

Addie sighed. "Thanks, Hermione. Can you tell me about the future?" Almost shyly, she asked, "Did you know me?"

The question Hermione had been anticipating with dread had finally arrived. "No," Hermione said quietly. "No, I didn't. But I like to think the Hermione that might be born in this time will."

"You might not be born?" Addie asked incredulously. "Why?"

Hermione smiled at the girl's inquisitive nature. "Because we already changed this timeline drastically. And we are going to do it again, Saturday." She hoped she and Harry would be ready to defeat the Horcruxes they had found. That they had murdered for. That they would die to destroy.

Two hours later, Harry and Hermione were preparing for bed, Hermione just finishing to brush her teeth, and Harry pulling on his pajama pants. "I'm decent," he called, moving toward the door.

"Finally," Hermione joked good-naturedly. The door would not open unless Harry was dressed, so she had been stuck in the bath until he had finished dressing. She exited, and climbed into bed as Harry brushed his teeth and hurried to bed.

He pulled up the covers, and opened his arms in invitation; she scooted over and snuggled close to his warmth. Harry bent down to tenderly press his lips to the top of her head, bringing surprised tears to her eye at the sweetness of the gesture. "I was horrible to you today," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"I love you," Harry said. "It hurt when you turned away. But I understand. A little bit, anyway. It's not good for you to get that angry. You overextended yourself today." She kissed his chest, smiling slightly at his scolding tone.

"I did," she admitted ruefully. "But I'll be ready if you want to take care of the Horcruxes on Saturday." Her eyes flicked to corner of the room that housed her undisturbed beaded purse, in which a few charmed bags held the pieces of Voldemort's soul.

She turned away from the bedraggled purse, and looked into the dark green of Harry's eyes. "I love you," she sighed. "Too much. This seems like a dream sometimes."

"I'm not going to be leaving anytime soon," Harry said with a smile. He pulled her up and kissed her mouth, staring straight into her eyes for the entire kiss. It was long and sweet, and Hermione was loath to relinquish his lips when he pulled back.

A slow grin spread across her face, and she blushed a bit. "Okay. I can deal with that."

* * *

The rest of the week passed quickly, Saturday arriving with a clash of thunder and a rainstorm. The children and professors were trapped inside the castle as rain dashed the walls and gusts of wind whipped up the surface of the normally placid lake. Fires burned in the common rooms, trying but failing to keep out the chill of the spring rains. It would soon be Easter, but the weather seemed not to have noticed.

Hermione and Harry, the Marauders, Lily, and Addie were all ensconced in the transformed Room of Requirement, nursing warm mugs of hot chocolate and butterbeer, and discussing their plan for the day.

"We need to decide now if we want to take care of the basilisk or not," Harry was saying, serious expression making him appear years older. "I would hate for anyone to die or Hogwarts to be shut down because someone releases the monster."

Hermione nodded her agreement, and cleared her throat. "It would be dangerous to kill it without a rooster. Do you think the gamekeeper would have some?"

Lily nodded. "Yes. Hagrid always keeps chickens and roosters. But do we have to kill it?" Her green eyes were sorrowful at the thought of killing the peacefully sleeping snake. As much as the idea of a serpent living in the bowels of the school scared her, she disliked the thought of harming another living creature.

"We need its venom," Harry said. "That was the way I destroyed most of the Horcruxes. The only reason the sword was able to put a dent in them was that it was imbued with the poison. The other way we did it was Fiendfyre, and that almost killed me and it may have forever closed the Room of Requirement."

"The other way to destroy them would be to make Voldemort fell remorse," Hermione stated firmly. "And that is not going to happen anytime soon."

"Then the venom it is," James crowed, shooting Lily a look. "Lils, it is a dangerous monster that can you by looking at you. It's future self nearly killed Hermione, Harry, and it has already killed a girl. Moaning Myrtle, remember?"

Lily's face darkened. "The basilisk killed Moaning Myrtle? That awful ghost that haunts the girl's toilets on the second floor?"

"I didn't know that," Sirius said with a frown. "Did you, Moony?" The werewolf shook his head thoughtfully.

"Nope." Remus set his butterbeer down on the coffee table that the room had provided. "How did she die?"

Harry shook his head sadly. "The basilisk. Tom Riddle ordered it to kill. He need her blood to seal the chamber." He thought for a moment. "And he needed her death to make his first Horcrux."

"How are you going to kill it?" Addie asked fearfully. "It is a giant snake. With a stare of death." Her high voice trembled a bit. "All it has to do is open its eyes and you have a very short life. And if you manage not to look at it, it still has a poisonous bite."

Hermione smiled reassuringly at the younger girl, saying, "Don't worry. Have you read anything about basilisks in any of your Care of Magical Creatures textbooks? Or maybe the Defense Against the Dark Arts?" The Italian singer shook her head. "Basilisks have a few weaknesses," Hermione explained. "They can be killed by a cock's crow. And we have a Parseltongue."

"I can get us a rooster," Lily said, rising. "Do you want to go with me, James?" The Chaser nodded, and drained the rest of his butterbeer.

"Alright. It'll be good to see Hagrid again." Harry hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Hermione.

Hermione followed his line of thought. "Oh, no," she sighed. "Hagrid."

"What about Hagrid?" asked Sirius. "What does he have to do with this?" All four Marauders were close to Hagrid, the gamekeeper having overseen plenty of their detentions.

Harry muttered an oath under his breath. "Well." He cursed again, running a hand through his hair, and sighing dramatically before explaining. "Did Hagrid ever tell you why he was expelled from Hogwarts and his wand was snapped?"

"No," Peter said, rat-like face furrowing into a frown. "He keeps his wand in his umbrella, though. The pink one." He took another cookie, munching thoughtfully. "He goes deaf whenever we ask him about it," he supplied.

Harry and Hermione shared a smile. "That's Hagrid," Harry said fondly. "Well, Tom Riddle was the one who framed him for Myrtle's murder. He told Headmaster Dippet that Hagrid's pet acromantula had killed Myrtle. Hagrid was expelled and his wand was snapped. Hermione, our friend Ron, and I cleared his name in our second year when I killed the basilisk for the first time."

"And we're worried that if we kill the basilisk now, that no one will ever know that he wasn't the one to kill her," Hermione finished. "But if we bring the snake to the attention of the authorities, then we cannot use the fangs, and we have the problem of the Ministry taking an interest in us."

Addie looked at the troubled faces around her. "So what do we do?"

* * *

Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his throne-like chair, and twinkled at the two women in front of him. One was sitting calmly in the domain she was sure would one day be hers, the other was twisting the hem of her sleeves nervously in front of the greatest wizard since Merlin.

"Minerva, Poppy," he began. "How are you both?" The rain outside the window had yet to stop, but the interior of the Headmaster's Tower was warm and softly light with a fire. Both women glanced at each other before they spoke.

Poppy was first. "Fine, Headmaster. Can I ask what this is about? I really must get back down to the Hospital Wing. There will be fights all over the castle if this rain doesn't cease. The children hate being cooped up." The matron was used to the filling of the Hospital Wing with the beginning of the rain.

"Yes, of course, Poppy," Albus said, reaching into his desk. "Lemon drop?"

"No, thank you," said the nurse, exchanging glances with the Transfiguration professor by her side.

Before the Headmaster could ask her, Minerva shook her head, refusing the tart candy. "Albus?"

"Well," Albus said genially, leaning back and clasping his hands over his slim frame, "I'm just wondering about your opinions on the delightful Miss Granger and her beau, Mr. Potter." When neither of the women responded, he sighed, just a bit. "Tell me what you can about them," he prompted. "Madame?"

Pomfrey nodded warily, and began to speak. "Hermione Granger is a nice girl, polite. She had made a sudden recovery from whatever ailed her before. She is deeply in love with Mr. Potter, but Will Calley has his eyes on her. From what I've seen, she has gained enough weight to propel her back into the realm of the low, but not dangerously low. She hasn't been in the Hospital Wing often. Is that all, Headmaster?"

With a wave of his hand, Albus Dumbledore dismissed the nurse, and waited until she had stood, gathered her skirts, and left the office in the tower.

"What exactly do you want to hear, Albus?" asked McGonagall. "She is a good student, and so his he. They are both powerful. They are kind. They are a young couple in love. He's as cheeky as James Potter and I wouldn't be surprised if they were siblings instead of whatever strange relationship they have. Hermione has bonded with Lily and, surprisingly enough, Severus Snape." She scowled for a moment at the mention of the dark-eyed Slytherin. "She is nice to him, and it seems the boy has learned his lesson. He isn't panting over her like he did with Lily Evans. They have found a good group of friends with the Marauders."

Albus looked at her steadily. "What do you think would be the reactions of all the people you just mentioned if Harry and Hermione would simply be gone tomorrow?" He waited, knowing his second in command was mulling over the situation and making informed guesses. He had always appreciated that aspect of Minerva McGonagall. She was a good judge of people's reactions, even if she did have a temper famed throughout Hogwarts.

"Well," she said, still turning the idea over in her mind, "The Marauders would definitely miss the both of them. Hermione is like a mixture between friend, sister, and mother to them. Harry is a brother. Lily would miss Hermione terribly. Alice is a good friend, but she and Hermione are close. Severus Snape," Minerva closed her eyes and sighed. "Severus."

Albus nodded. "Severus Snape. He's already one of Voldemort's, but he is on our side because of Hermione Granger. If she left, the only tie he would have to the side of light is Lily. And even though Hermione has been working to heal their relationship, I fear Miss Granger's impending departure might spell tragedy for our side."

"When does she leave?" questioned the Transfiguration Professor. Her lined face was troubled as she considered the consequences of Hermione and Harry returning to their true dimension.

Albus answered, grave expression conveying the importance. "Summer Solstice. There is no known way around it."

"And I daresay that Miss Granger and Mr. Potter would be far happier in their own time," McGonagall mentioned dryly. "What can we do to make sure that their loss will not negatively impact the war effort?"

Albus frowned. "We need Severus to have greater ties to our side. His relationship with Lily needs to be restored."

"What about Adelynne Iamperrii? The Italian transfer student who is a friend of Miss Grangers. She is younger than Mr. Snape, but she could develop a friendship with him free of all the baggage between him and Lily Evans," Minerva suggested.

Albus shook his head sadly. "I do not think that would work. I do not believe Miss Iamperrii would be capable of forgiving Mr. Snape for his involvement of the Death Eaters. She and her parents were victims of Voldemort."

The professor nodded, foot tapping as she thought of other people. "He doesn't have many friends," she replied. "But we can think of something."

"We have to think of something," Dumbledore answered. "We need Severus Snape."

* * *

**Ah, yet another problem and a shining example of Dumbledore's well-meaning manipulation. **

**I have a poll up so you can tell me what you think Harry and Hermione should do- leave the basilisk and clear Hagrid's name, or kill it and Voldemort. Vote!**

**This is finals week, which means Christmas break is on its way. Expect a new chapter for PN&NYM soon. I've been writing for that one too, and I'm excited!**

**To everyone who doesn't read my other stories, I wish you a Merry Christmas now. Starting on Tuesday, Happy Hanukah. To those who don't celebrate Christmas, enjoy the snow if you live up north and sun if you don't. **

**Review, vote, go to http:/ /www. fictionpress .com/s/ 297986 7/1/Dr _Docto r_Gra ve without the space. Damn, the formatting there sucks. But please? For your beloved ausland? (makes pouty face)**

**See you next time.**


	37. The Chamber of Secrets

**Hello, all. **

**Aren't you proud? I've updated in a timely fashion. Next is chapter 8 of PNNYM. If you haven't read it already, give it a try. I'm quite proud. (and of course my current favorite, 1995. If you're into SB/HG, check that out)**

**I know I haven't done this in a long time, but this chapter is dedicated to paulaa90. Thank you. If you read this story, this chapter is dedicated to you as well as the next chapter of 1995.**

**Enjoy this chapter. Have fun reading it. Know that it might be the last one for a while- but not too long. This finally has the resolution to a problem that has been in the process of being solved for a while.**

* * *

"I feel horrible," Hermione said, leaning into Harry's shoulder. "I feel like a horrible person." The deed was done and there was no going back now.

It had taken less than ten minutes to kill the basilisk. Ten minutes to kill Hagrid's chances of being accepted into the Wizarding World. Harry had opened the chamber; Hermione following with the rooster Lily had gotten from Hagrid- the friendly half-giant not knowing that by giving the girl the chicken he was resigning himself to a life as Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts.

The Marauders and Lily stayed in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, all unsettled by the strange, serpentine hissing emerging from Harry's very human mouth. When the sink opened and the dank passage was revealed, they all drew back.

"Why don't you try saying, 'stairs' or 'ramp,' Harry," Hermione suggested, nose wrinkled in disgust at the grimy passage. "There has to be something. I really can't see Tom Riddle sliding down this chute willingly."

Harry agreed, and eventually coaxed a winding set of stairs to appear, leading down into the dark depths that was Slytherin's lair. He turned from the hole to look at Hermione, eyes darkly serious.

"I can't tell you," he said in a low voice, "But I can ask you." He saw the defiance in her eyes. "Please?"

Compassion filled her entire face, and Harry turned away. "I'm going with you." _I faced it once and came out in second place. You beat it. I'm going to face it again with you at my side and come out the winner._

They descended the stairs, Harry going first, wand at the ready. The stairs seemed to last forever; only the square of light the narrowed to a book, and then a postage stamp showed their descent. But after a while they emerged at the base of the stairs, in the stone antechamber that Harry remembered vaguely from second year. Wands out, tips glowing, they advanced cautiously, walking until they reached the large doors with the serpent handles.

Harry hissed again, and they swung open. Hermione was holding the rooster gingerly, breathing fast. It unnerved her to be so close to the monster. But the faded splendor of the chamber calmed her somewhat as she looked at the giant statue of the founder in awe.

"I'm going to call it out," Harry said, voice steady. "The mouth of the statue is going to open and the snake is going to come out of it. That is when you need to make the cock crow." He looked at her, wide eyed and clutching the poor chicken 'round the neck. "Calm down, 'Mione," he said gripping her shoulders. "It'll be okay, as long as you don't kill the chicken."

She nodded, and set the poultry on the ground. "_Imperio,_" she said firmly. The chicken straightened, fluffed its wings, and crowed once. "Go ahead," she said. "The cock will be crowing."

Harry called the basilisk, and the two watched from behind a pillar as the giant serpent slithered out from the mouth of Salazar Slytherin. Hermione waited until she heard its tail drop to the floor to make the rooster crow again. At the first crow, the snake let out a strangled sort or roar, and on the second it started thrashing. On the third it was still.

Hermione let the rooster crow for another minute, then stepped out from behind the pillar with Harry at her back. He hissed something, and when the snake didn't move he made his way to the end where the head was to close its eyes, one hand carefully protecting his own.

"It was bigger twenty years in the future," Harry mused, a grin spreading on his face. "What do you think, 'Mione?"

She laughed, and hugged him, burying her head in his chest and just laughing in relief. "We killed the snake," she said, out of breath. "We killed the god damn snake."

They held each other for a few moments longer. "Do you want to destroy the Horcruxes here or in the Room of Requirement?" asked Hermione. "It would look suspicious if we are caught walking around with fangs as long as our arms hidden in our robes."

"But we can ask the Room to give us exactly what we need," Harry countered. "We can destroy everything at the same time."

"Then we might want to sever the fangs now," Hermione said, quieting the rooster and pulling a mirror out of her robe pocket to check to make sure the eyes were firmly closed. Its mouth gaped open, making her job easier.

Using a powerful severing charm, Hermione extracted the four fangs from the mouth. "Do you have the dragon skin gloves?" Harry nodded, passing them to her. She gripped them cautiously, wary of the sharpness as well as the venom.

"Can we shrink them?" asked Harry. "Does magic work on them?" Hermione was right- it would look suspicious to be wandering the halls holding giant fangs.

Hermione shrugged and frowned. "I don't know. But it wouldn't hurt to try with one." A quick shrinking and engorging charm and it was decided that the fangs could hold the magic.

The trip back up to the bathroom was quiet. Both of them felt guilty for killing basilisk, guilty for taking away the opportunity the basilisk held for Hagrid. But it had to be done. One life against thousands.

And now they were on their way to the Room of Requirement to kill the pieces of Voldemort's soul. Hermione clutched her beaded back under her robes, the one that held the fangs and the Horcruxes.

"You are not a horrible person," Harry replied. "I know I sound a lot like Dumbledore, but it is a matter of stopping one man who will murder hundreds, or helping one man. We needed a safe way to kill the Horcruxes, and this was the best possible option."

She smiled sadly at him, brown eyes filled with guilt. He knew this, and he loved her for it. It was a mark of her amazing soul that she could feel so horrible about something that other people would accept quickly and with only a shred of remorse.

Peter and Remus had gone back to the Gryffindor Common Room- Peter was in desperate need of help if he wanted to pass the Transfiguration test- but James, Lily, and Sirius were still with them.

It did not take them long to reach the Room of Requirement, although for Harry and Hermione it seemed to take several lifetimes. Both breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the hideous piece of artwork depicting the pure stupidity of forcing trolls into tutus.

A quick look decided that Harry would be the one to make the request of the room. Three times he passed the barren expanse of wall, concentrating on a need to hide something dangerous, something valuable, something that needed to be inconspicuous and safe at the same time.

The door appeared before him, and he and his friends entered after only a moment's pause. The array of forgotten treasures spread before him have him the same sense of shock and awe that it did the first time. This room held a frightening collection of memories for him- blood and blonde hair and a bathroom with taps like snakes, then smoke and flames and _Voldemort_ in Hogwarts.

Hermione rested a hand on his arm. "Do you remember where it is?" she asked quietly. "You can tell me then leave if you want." The idea was tempting- too tempting.

"No," he decided. "I'll stay. But I remember it was somewhere over there." Turning to face his parents and godfather, Harry raised his voice slightly. "It looks like a crown, or a tiara," he said. "It has a large blue stone on it, and it's made of gold. Whatever you do, don't put it on. It wouldn't even be a good idea to pick it up, so if you see it, just call me or Hermione over."

Resolute nods were given, and they spread out to search. Harry made his way over to where he remembered a huge Vanishing Cabinet being, and started his search there. His heart quickened when he saw a fat troll statue that he had used to mark the resting place of the Potions text, but as the minutes turned into hours he became more and more discouraged.

"Over here!" Lily shouted. "I think this is it!" All of them sprinted over to where she stood, wand aimed at an innocent looking gold tiara with a large blue stone set in it. On the brim, _Wealth without measure is man's greatest treasure_ was engraved.

Harry nodded eagerly. "Yes! This is it. Let's grab it, go, and return to the perfect Horcrux destroying center." At the word 'Horcrux' the diadem twitched, causing Harry to jerk back his hand. "Okay," he said, an almost undetectable tremor in his voice. "Instead of grabbing it, let's levitate it."

With the diadem of Ravenclaw floating in front of them, the group exited the Room of Forgotten Things. Once again, Harry paced the floor before the wall, grinning in excitement at the door that suddenly appeared on the rough stones.

Silently, the five teens filed into the room the Room of Requirement had given them. It reminded Harry somewhat of a recording studio, with a portioned off portion with a glass window and three seats. In the center of the remaining three fourths of the room was a sturdy rock pedestal-like table, surrounded by several other pedestals with glass boxes.

"I think you three are supposed to go in there," Hermione said, nodding toward the portioned off part of the room. "Three seats."

James and Sirius glanced at each other, then shrugged. "You two are the ones who've dealt with this mania before," James said. "If you want us behind the glass, then we'll go behind the glass."

Hermione smiled at them gratefully, then grabbed them and gave them each a rib-crushing hug. "Just in case," she said. "You never know."

It was a testament of their understanding that they just hugged her back and opened the door the separated the two sides of the room. Lily squeezed Hermione as well, then followed the boys.

"What are we supposed to do with these ones?" Harry asked from the center of the room, examining one of the glass boxes.

Hermione walked over, then opened her purse and dug through it for the pouch that held the cup. Carefully, she put Hufflepuff's cup inside the glass box, nodding her satisfaction when it sealed itself. "This is going to make sure that whatever we do to the other Horcruxes doesn't affect these ones. If we kill one and the others activate, then we would have a problem."

In the other boxes she placed the diary, the box containing the ring, and the diadem. "We have to destroy the ring last," she said, tapping her wand against her lower lip. "We should get rid of the diary first, because that one is the easiest. We need the glass box around the ring to think that Voldemort is dead, so the death of the second to last Horcrux should take place next to the ring."

"Alright," Harry said. "You want to do the honors?" he asked, watching as she enlarged the fangs.

She shook her head. "You can kill the diary first. The Room should have given us gloves," she said looking around. "There they are," she finished happily, handing a pair to Harry and taking one for herself.

Slowly and making every effort to avoid error, Harry placed the diary on the middle table, grabbing a fang with his other hand. He raised the white tooth, and with a savage grunt brought it down on one of the containers of Voldemort's soul.

The diary screeched. It was a fey sound, inhuman and feral, full of rage and pain. James and Sirius were out of their seats in the viewing gallery, and Lily was almost cowering in her seat. The scream went on for several seconds, the leather bound book spurting red and black ink, and emitting a black smoke. Slowly, painfully, the sounds stopped, and the smoke dissipated.

"One down," Harry said, relieved. "Which one next?"

Hermione shrugged. "The cup might be the next easiest, then the diadem. Look-" she jerked her head toward the open box that held the ring. "It's reacting to the other Horcrux." It was true- the clear box that had seemed to hold nothing before now held a smoky outline.

"Great!" said Harry. "Okay. Next one. Your turn." She nodded, and accepted a fresh fang. It was pale and not at all yellowed, as one would expect. A serrated edge was fearfully sharp, and venom glistened.

She stared at the cup. It was such an innocent looking thing, a pale gold with Helga Hufflepuff's crest emblazoned on the side. The two handles were delicate, yet sturdy, and she could almost feel the magic pouring off the artifact. It was such a waste, to destroy such a famous and magically important piece of history.

She set it on its side and raised her arms over her head, bringing the fang down with as much force as she could muster. There was an instant of resistance, then the metal gave way and the fang sunk into the heart of the Horcrux.

The mangled cup let out the same screech that the diary had. It _wiggled_, almost, as if trying desperately to get away from the fang and the venom. The black smoke was more transparent this time, less copious. But the deed was done, and one more Horcrux was dead.

"The ring," Harry mentioned softly. "It's almost visible." And so it was. Hermione was nearly able to make out the large black stone in the center.

They switched places again, as Harry selected a fang and Hermione removed the diadem from the box. Such a shame. She was feeling the strangest urge to put the diadem on her head. How much knowledge would it impart? What sort of crime was it to destroy the Diadem of Ravenclaw just because there was a piece of soul inside it? It wasn't like it could come out and attack her- just a moment of wearing the diadem and she would know so much.

"Hermione!" Harry shouted, knocking the golden tiara out of her grasp. It clattered to the floor, breaking the trance. Hermione's head snapped up, and she lowered her arms. Slowly, she realized that she had just been about to put the diadem on her head.

Harry picked it up, and glared at her. "What were you thinking?" he asked, incredulously. "You of all people know what would have happened if you had activated it!"

"He's getting desperate," Hermione replied. "Before the lure was strong, but this time the temptation was nearly overwhelming. Do it quickly." She stepped out of the way, allowing her fiancé to put the diadem on the stone altar and bring the basilisk fang down hard, brutally shattering the large blue gem set in the gold. The dark smoke poured out of the fission that was howling painfully. When the sound stopped, the smoke did too.

She was watching the ring box this time, and smiled, satisfied, when the ring became solid. "We're good to go," she said happily. "A few spells to open the box and we will have the last one."

Harry nodded, observing quietly as she moved her wand in a series of complicated patterns, muttering under her breath. With a click, one side of the clear cube popped open, allowing Hermione to reach in and grab the ring. "Here we go," she said, setting the ring on the stone slab.

Harry nodded, and took the last fang. It was effortless to lift the fang above his head, and the work of seconds to bring it down with enough force to crack the stone. The dark smoke came again, in a far smaller quantity than any of the other Horcruxes. The scream was far weaker, and died out faster.

For a minute, they just stared at each other in the silence. "We did it," Harry said quietly.

"They have a fighting chance now," Hermione said. Beaming, she threw herself into Harry's arms. "We did it!"

The kissed, briefly, then gathered the broken Horcruxes and used fangs to store in Hermione's endless little beaded bag. As they were cleaning up, the other seventh years exited the small viewing gallery.

"We could hear and see everything," James said. "What exactly was going on?" His hazel eyes were quizzical, and his messy hair was horribly messy from his worried hands running through it.

Hermione smiled wearily. "That was four of the five pieces of Voldemort's soul dying. Before we did this, if someone killed him, he would come back. But now- now he's mortal."

"So what next?" asked Lily. "What happens now?"

* * *

"I like lilies," Hermione said, "But I also like roses, and hydrangeas and peonies." She sighed, and fell back on her pillows with a huff. "I like flowers, period."

Lily rolled her eyes. "You'd be happy with anything." She jumped up from Hermione's bed to grab something from hers. "James' mum owled back and said that she would love to have the wedding at their house."

"Good," Hermione said. "What about a dress?" She had pretty pictures in her head- long and slender dresses with lace and beads. Or a very simple cut with clean white lines and a full skirt. There were so many options, so many choices.

Then it hit her. She was in the Seventies. The era of weird, poofy, shapeless wedding gowns. "Oh my God," she said, sitting straight up. "Lily, what do Wizarding wedding robes look like?"

"Why?" asked Lily. "I thought you wanted a Muggle wedding dress."

Hermione shook her head. "The wedding dresses in the Nineties are so much better. Like this-" she summoned a piece of parchment and a quill and hastily sketched some designs. "Really tight and sleeveless on top, then a full skirt at the bottom. Or this one's a mermaid style, really tight until the knees, then it flows to look like the tail, see?"

Lily nodded, tapping a pale finger against her chin. "Okay. I can see it. But kind did you want?"

"White or cream, lace, clingy. Sleeveless," she decided with a nod of her head. "A skirt, but not very big. And one of those veils with lace only on the edges."

"Then we can Transfigure something," Lily said. "It's not like you can take it back with you. And then you can have another wedding when you leave." The abject sadness in her voice and the sorrow curl of her lips made the misery of the flame haired girl too obvious for Hermione to ignore.

"Oh, Lily," she said quietly, rising to give the girl a hug. "I'll miss you and the boys so much." They stayed there, clinging to each other.

Lily pulled back, brushing Hermione's hair with a motherly gesture. "I want you at my wedding," she said, voice wobbly. "I want you there when I have my children. I want to make you godmother of one and the favorite aunt of the one Alice will be the godmother of. I wish you could stay."

"I do too, to some extent," Hermione said shaking her head. "I want to know a little baby Harry. I want to be a bridesmaid-"

"Maid of honor," Lily interrupted. "But go on." She and Hermione shared a quick grin.

"And I want you to be godmother to my first child," Hermione continued. "But I also want to go home. I want to see Neville and Luna and even Ginny and Ron. I want to see my parents and my friends and marry my man in front of the people who have fought by my side and tried to save me when I was lost."

She frowned, sitting back down on the bed. "But I'm not leaving just yet. I still have three months here." She gave the other girl a watery smile, and Lily joined her on the quilt.

"I'm glad," she said. "But I hate that I'll never see you again. It- it'll be like you died, Hermione." Lily was surprised when Hermione laughed.

"Just the opposite, I'm afraid," she said. "You and James are what? Seventeen, eighteen? In two years, I'm going to be born if Harry and I didn't mess too many things up." Lily saw the irony as well, laughing as she joined her friend on the bed.

Lily ran a hand through her long hair, gathering it up into a ponytail. "I'm going to have to find your mother and befriend her. That way you and little Harry can grow up together."

"Do you still want to name you first son Harry?" Hermione asked. "You don't think it would be strange?" How eerie would it be, she thought, to come back to this time and see a Harry Potter who had never lived through a war, had been raised with parents and brothers and sisters.

Lily shook her head. "No. I like the name well enough, and we can say that we named him after a dear family friend. That's true enough- no need to tell little Harry that he is the same family friend he was named after."

Nodding thoughtfully, Hermione laughed suddenly. "You know, everyone back home is expecting Harry to name his first children James and Lily. I'm not sure what he thinks about it, but wouldn't it be strange?"

"It would be," Lily said with a decisive nod. "I would rather our names be remembered as 'James and Lily Potter' the tragic couple who died saving their son than as 'James and Lily Potter' those kids who won't stop fighting."

Hermione shrugged. "I dunno. But I can't get pregnant until I get back, and even then I'm not sure if I can even have children." That thought sent a wince of pain through her. Hermione had always wanted children- at least two, a little girl and a little boy. They had been abstract in her mind until she had turned twelve or so. Now whenever she saw them they had wild hair and green eyes. She wanted so much for her offspring- a world free of Voldemort and blood purity and a chance to do whatever they wanted to do.

"Why wouldn't you be able to have children?" Lily asked. "Does it run in your family, or something?" There was genuine sympathy in the distinctive emerald eyes Lily had passed on to her son.

Shaking her head, Hermione adopted a far-off expression. "No, not really. My mum had a lot of problems, but that was just her."

"So?" Lily asked. "Did something happen?" She could see that it was difficult for Hermione to get to her point.

"Yeah," Hermione said, a bitter grin marring her features. "Bellatrix Lestrange. She tortured me half to death. The only other people who have been in that exact position and lived, well, they've been residing in St. Mungo's metal ward for seventeen years."

"Oh," Lily said softly. "I didn't think about that." She felt bad about it- it was too easy to forget Hermione had lived through hell. She had pushed away the thoughts of Hermione writhing under a wand a malicious smile that same way she pushed them away for Adelynne.

Hermione's smile grew gentler, loosing its angry twist. "Not many people do. I've yet to even talk to Harry about it. He wants a large family." After growing up with the Dursleys, Harry wanted a chance to make it right, so to speak. He wanted to prove to himself and to his relatives that they had no horrible and lasting effects on his life.

"Whatever happens, Hermione," Lily said, "You know Harry loves you." It could be sickening, sometimes, to see how much affection the two had for each other. So much love. So much care. So much of everything.

Hermione nodded, putting her head on Lily's shoulder. "I thought a lot about you and James when I was younger. You were the ideal for romance everywhere- everyone knew your names and how much you loved each other and Harry."

"They do know it wasn't always like that, right?" Lily asked, slightly horrified. "I thought I really hated James for several years."

"No, they never mentioned it," Hermione said with a chuckle. "Harry was fifteen when he found out. It really bothered him. He almost got caught by the school dictator trying to contact Sirius to ask if his father was really as bad as he had seen in-" she paused, and looked at Lily guiltily. "He saw a memory of the day your class finished your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.'s."

Lily gasped, one hand flying to her mouth in almost comic shock. "He knows about that? About James and Severus and what we all did and said-"

"Yes," Hermione interrupted. "He did and it bothered him for weeks. He couldn't believe James and Sirius had been such bullies. And he felt horrible for Severus. And he was also shocked to see his mother wasn't the angel he had thought her to be."

"Ugh," Lily said, flopping back on the bed. "My only child finds out what a horrible person I used to be before he's even born."

"His reality check came later and in a much more unconventional manner than most," Hermione said with a shrug. "Most kids find out their parents aren't perfect much earlier. But you and James weren't there, and he had an awful childhood. He built up a glorified image of you and James in his head and then…" she let her voice trail off. "It's amazing that he got to actually meet you," she finally said.

Lily just groaned. "James loves having him here. He says it's like having a twin. And Sirius and Remus have warmed up to Harry and really like him."

"And Severus," Hermione added. "We've become good friends with him. I'll be sorry to leave him, too." They had helped Severus Snape refine his Occulmency to the point where even Dumbledore couldn't penetrate it without tremendous amounts of power and effort.

The girls went back to their wedding planning. Sad talk of life and war and leaving was much too depressing for such a bright Saturday afternoon.

* * *

"What are the girls doing?" Sirius asked, looking up from the chessboard. He was playing against Remus, and, surprisingly, holding his own.

Remus shrugged, and Peter shook his head. "Wedding planning," James and Harry chorused.

"You two need to stop doing that," Sirius said crossly. "Reminds me of the bloody Prewitt twins before they left last year." Fabian and Gideon had been rowdy pranksters who often talked in unison, or interrupted each other so accurately it sounded like one person talking.

Remus laughed, moving his queen into checkmate. "You lose, Sirius." The aristocratic boy sneered at his friend, picking his lanky form off the floor and flinging it into a chair.

"Does anyone else have the feeling that this in anti-climactic?" Sirius asked vaguely.

Harry shook his head, green eyes gazing at Sirius over a Transfigurations book. "Trust me- it always feels like that. So much anticipation, then a few moments full of adrenaline and then suddenly, no purpose. Or a very difficult to achieve goal. Or something that seems like it could never happen in a million years."

James shot Sirius a look. "Speaking of things that could never happen in a million years… have you spoken with Addie lately, Padfoot?"

An uncharacteristic flush of pink appeared on Sirius' cheeks. "Of course," he said gruffly. "We do live in the same house with the same group of friends."

"You can admit you like her, Sirius," Peter said. "Nothing to be ashamed of."

"What about you, Peter?" Sirius shot back. "Any love interests, Wormtail?" The pudgy boy squeaked, and shook his head.

"Thought so," Sirius muttered. "And we all know things are just peachy for the Potters. What about you, Moony?"

"No," Remus said plainly. "And I'd tell you oafs if there was something. What's the matter, Sirius?" The werewolf raised one eyebrow, tawny eyes calm and authoritative. He was giving Sirius his 'Prefect's Look,' the one that told Sirius to either explain what was bothering him or shut up.

In response, Sirius rose from the couch he was occupying, and disappeared up the stairs to the boy's dorms. Peter huffed, crossing his arms. "And that'll be the last we see of him for days."

"Not so fast, Wormy," James said thoughtfully, worry tingeing his voice. "Have some trust in Sirius." The sound of feet rapidly pounding down the stairs brought a smile to the Chaser's face.

"Oh ye of little faith," Remus said under his breath, nudging Peter with his foot. "See?" Peter just rolled his eyes.

Sirius appeared again, face drawn and solemn. "This is the matter," he said shortly, tossing a piece of parchment into James' lap.

James picked it up cautiously, noting that it was made of the good stuff- the expensive parchment. That, and the elaborate penmanship told him it was from Sirius' family. He read it, then threw it Remus' way in disgust.

Remus picked it up, bowing his sandy head over the letter.

_Dear Sirius,_

_You will be coming home for Easter Break. There will be none of the nonsense that you displayed this Christmas- you will be coming or I will come to Hogwarts to get you. _

_Your father has arranged a meeting with the parents of Cassiopeia Dolohov to discuss dowries and other such things. You are expected to attend. The girl may very well be your future wife, Sirius, and the matriarch of the Black Family. You are the first born son and heir. It is long past the time for you to rise to your position. _

_For too long we have ignored your unfortunate Sorting. No longer- you will start being seen with the right kinds of people before your last year is out. The connections you make in Hogwarts will last you years. You are no Slytherin, but you can manipulate people. They will expect it even less due to your House. _

_Ask your brother for help if need be. His friends shall become yours as well. If you have heard the rumors making their way around the Wizarding World about an invincible man who shall lead the way for blood purity, then you know who you should befriend. _

_We will discuss all this and more when you arrive at home. _

_Your mother,_

_Walburga Black_

* * *

**Well. It was surprisingly fun to act like Walburga Black for five paragraphs. Hehe. **

**What did you think? Tell me. I want to know. **

**Hey: Help me get to 1000 reviews. That would make my entire year. And… I have a special surprise for the 1000****th**** reviewer. I will write whatever oneshot they want for whatever Harry Potter pairing they could possibly desire, with the exception of Ron and Hermione. **

**And speaking of one shots: I've written one that happens sometime in this story. It's a conversation between Harry and Severus. Do you guys want to read it? I think it's okay, but… you know. It's my baby, of course I think it's perfect.**

**PLEASE go to my Fictionpress account after you've reviewed. Please. Pretty please. With a giant cherry and all the whipped cream you want. I need feedback for that story. It's long, I know, but I NEED info. I'm getting it bound TONIGHT so I'd like to fix as much as I can before that. The link is on my author's page, and here with spaces: h ttp:/www .fictionpress. com/s/2979867/1/Skeletal**

**Review and please go to my Fictionpress. I will do something nice to whoever goes there and tells me. **


	38. Special Bonus Extra

**Hello, all!**

**This is a little extra I wrote with Harry and Severus, just because I love Severus. And Harry. But: This is not an actual chapter. Sorry. This is just a little... bonus extra oneshot that is a chapter too. **

**This is to celebrate getting to 1000 reviews. Thank you so much to all my readers who reviewed and helped me get there. **

**That being said, this bonus extra is dedicated to HorseLuverFurever who was my 1000 reviewer. Honey, if you are reading this, then you know that you can tell me any oneshot you want me to write, and I will write it just for you. Any Harry Potter character, any pairing (except for Ron and Hermione.) Just let me know. :)**

**Enjoy this little fragment. It takes place somewhere after Christmas but before Harry proposed. Just... somewhere.**

* * *

"I hate you, you know."

"Yeah. I know."

The two boys stared at each other from across the small room the semi-sentient castle had provided them with. One was tall- fierce and war-hardened with dispassionate green eyes and a scar over his eyebrow. The other was lanky and slouching, with slightly greasy black hair swinging forward to cover a pale face and burning eyes.

For all their differences, they looked almost comically similar, mirroring the other's pose. They just regarded each other, not making any other move, arms crossed over their chests.

"I love her."

"I know that, too."

"Does she?" The question was asked with a mixture of painful emotions. Harry Potter would have to choose his answer carefully. If he said no, it would give him hope, hope that would only hurt. If he said yes, it implied that Hermione cared nothing for Severus.

"She's unsure. She loves you in a way, you know."

"I know." Severus was silent for a few more moments, eyes closed as he digested information. "But it isn't the way I would want."

"It hurts."

"Hell, yeah." Severus raised his head somewhat, allowing Harry to see his face. Those eyes were not yet defeated a strange expression for the dimensional traveler. "How the hell would you know?"

"Because." Although he truly meant to leave it at that, the twinge Harry felt at the boy's pain was far too strong to just ignore. "I was there for years."

He could see the confusion on the Slytherin's face. "Hermione's been in love with you for years."

"Like I knew that," Harry said with a snort. "I thought she fancied my best friend."

Severus nodded silently, jaw working steadily as he worked out what to say. "Potter?"

"Yeah." He could see Snape's hesitation in the flicking of his eyes and the sudden youthfulness of his face.

Those dark eyes that had so frightened and enraged him as a schoolboy were burning into his, asking only for the small, vital favor only he could grant.

"If you weren't in the picture, could she have fallen in love with me?" The need to know was leaching through to Snape's voice. He winced- Severus Snape hated being seen as anything but strong. If sarcasm and snide remarks were needed to prevent people from seeing weakness, so be it.

Harry gave the question thought. What did Hermione want in a man? In a husband? In a lover?

Hermione Granger was beautiful, intelligent, and his best friend. She was caring and clever, fighting for justice no matter the cost. She was resourceful and logical, able to solve any fix he had ever gotten into. She had too much faith in authority, she could get overconfident, and she hated being proven wrong.

She had fallen for him. She apparently liked men who were strong and brave and Severus Snape was both of those. He knew that Snape was smart and cunning- he was a Slytherin. As for looks, Hermione didn't seem to care much for those. Viktor Krum was an example; he had a nose very similar to Severus'. Severus was polite, and could be scathingly funny.

"I think so." Harry gave Snape a hard look. "But I am in the picture. And I love her more than-"

"Life itself," Severus finished with a sarcastic roll of his eyes. "Sentimental Gryffindor shite."

"Pretty much, yeah," Harry replied sheepishly. "Sentimental Gryffindor shite." But he did love her with all his heart. More than life itself.

"And she loves you," Severus says with a sigh. "Why is it that the only girls who would give me the time of day fall for _Potters_?" By now, he had left his post at the wall and was pacing in a tight circle. "Potters! Potters! If I could rid myself of Potters all my problems would be solved!" He threw his arms up in the air. "Why me?"

"Because," Harry snorted. "You sound like Tom Riddle, post 1980. "

Snape immediately stopped his pacing, throwing a glance toward the older boy. "Do I? I'll stop."

"His style consists of melodramatic plans to solve his major life issues," Harry said with a stifled laugh. "And I was his major life issue for about seventeen years. So about once every year he came up with a plan to kill me and take over the world."

Severus nodded thoughtfully, then returned to his position leaning against the wall. "What happened to her?"

He used all of his natural talent and little training to try and gauge the expression on his companion's face. Potter's slight grin of the moment before had fled and what was left was a rock. He was hiding pain and anger and all the other terribly horrible things Gryffindors felt when they thought they were guilty of something that probably was only partially their fault. But this Gryffindor was trying to hide it.

"She was tortured. For days." Harry said finally. "And I couldn't help her. I heard the first part- and then I escaped. She was in the Drawing Room of Malfoy Manor and I was in the dungeons. She was screaming and screaming…" He swallowed hard.

"And then what?" Severus asked. "What happened?" The unspoken, _You didn't just leave her there, did you?_ hung in the air.

Harry shot him a look that said, _Of course not._ "I went back with a rescue team. I was captured and the others got away. Then Voldemort cast some kind of spell that sent us here. Her first, and then when I killed him, I was next."

"You killed him?" Severus asked. "How?"

Harry shook his head. "Really? No idea. Dumbledore would tell you it was love." He was unsurprised when Severus stared at him, incredulous.

"No shite," he said. "So the old man in the tower really is nutters, isn't he?" At this, Harry had to hold back a laugh.

He quirked an eyebrow. "You're really surprised there, mate?" He gave into temptation, and laughed. "He's gotta be at least one hundred and thirty years old now."

"And yet he still manages to be ten steps ahead at all times," Severus said wearily. "Wonder what he was like in his heyday."

Harry frowned. "Well that was then and this is now," he said finally. "Are we going to practice, or not?"

"Might as well," Severus said with a shrug. "Is Hermione coming tonight?" Harry noticed the hope in his eyes. He felt bad for the lad.

Harry nodded. "She's finishing up her tutoring session with the students Professor Flitwick asked her to help. She'll be here in…" he glanced at his watch. "Twenty minutes, tops."

They meditated, then Harry tried repeatedly to invade the carefully protected mind of Severus Snape. The Slytherin had long surpassed 'good' when it came to the mind arts- he was at excellent and fast approaching master.

Twenty minutes later, both men were jolted from their mindspaces when the door creaked open and a women stepped in. Her hair was barely contained in a messy bun with a quill sticking out of it, her eyes had bruise like shadows, and her freckles stood out against her pale skin. She was beautiful, and Harry and Severus caught their breath.

But she only had eyes for one of them, sending Harry a tiny smile. "Sorry, boys," she said, yawning. "Reggie Black really needed to work on his Transfiguration for the test tomorrow. I stayed late to help him." Her book bag joined Harry's and Severus' in a corner, and she stretched wearily.

Harry rose from the floor, crossing the room to greet her. He reached for her waist, pulling her into his embrace, kissing the top of her head and breathing in the smells of Hermione- old books, ink, and flowery shampoo.

"Hello, love," he said quietly, aware of Severus watching them. "Missed you." Her cheeks flushed gently, and she beamed up at him.

"I missed you, too," she replied, tilting her head up for his kiss. "How are you and Severus doing?" She turned to face the young spy before her, smiling happily at him.

"Just fine, Hermione," Severus said with a tight smile. "Harry and I are just fine." He nodded imperceptibly at the older man, who nodded back.

There would never be a Lily Evans for Severus Snape. He could accept that.

But there would also never be a Hermione Granger for Severus Snape. And that was a little harder to accept. But he would accept it, and move on.

At least he knew that the man who had Hermione loved her. He would protect her. He would make her happy.

Even if he was a damn Potter.

* * *

**As always, tell me what you think. You know I'd love to hear it. :)**

**And thank you to those who read my FictionPress story, (BooklvrAnnie, that means you. Hugs and cookies) I turned that in on Friday. Big weight off my chest. **

**Next story updated should be PNNYM. I'm writing chapter eight, which means fashion show. I'm about half way done. **

**Review, please. And give love to Severus. He deserves it. :)**


	39. Wedding Preparations

**Not my favorite chapter by far, but please just be happy it's here. I spent forever rewriting it and I'm still not sure it's perfect, but people have been getting impatient. I am getting impatient too- I want this story to be over already. **

**Next chapter will prolly be the wedding, then some in some mysterious way Voldemort will kick the bucket, and then back to 1998! **

**Anyway, enjoy this medium length chapter. The next one might take a while. Finals are coming up, after all. (And Prom is on Saturday… yay!) And next, PNNYM needs a new chapter. Go read it, if you haven't already. It's more serious and angst-ridden than this one. :)**

**Ahh! You need to read the _story._ Go. Shoo. Read. **

* * *

The dawn light was slowly filtering into the room shared by the dimensional travelers, illuminating the cozy bed occupied by two intertwined bodies. Hermione was half on top of Harry, snuggled close to his side with her head and one arm resting on his chest while he held her. Her curls were confined to a think braid, a few tendrils resting around her face and neck.

Slowly, Harry's eyes opened to the new day, contentment flooding his being as he assessed his situation. Beautiful and scantily clad woman in his arms, a comfortable bed in a safe castle, and a calm Sunday morning. Horcruxes had been destroyed, and an immortal Dark Lord was one- actually four- steps closer to mortality. Life was good. He had the love of his life in his arms.

The love of his life- the woman who completed him, who drew strength from his love, who made him smile and laugh. His reason for living, his passion. He would love her forever and a day. His life would be dedicated to this love, this desperate need for her touch, her presence, just- her. Hermione Granger. Hermione Potter.

She stirred against him, eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks. She yawned adorably, no trace of the occasionally frightening witch present in the calm lines of her face. Hermione look a thousand times healthier, the shadows her own bones had formed on her skin gone. Her lips were the palest pink, pulled into a pout at the cool air of her bedchamber as she retreated into Harry's warmth.

"Good morning, love," Harry whispered, turning on his side to hold her.

He chuckled as she frowned, eyes opening once before clenching shut. "It's too early."

Harry peppered kisses on her face and neck, ending with her lips. "But think of all the lovely things we could do if you were awake. For example, we need to celebrate. I want to have a small party in the Room of Requirement. Just us and the Marauders."

Hermione propped herself up on her elbows, and mock glared at him. "Not what I had in mind when you said 'lovely things' my dear. But I'm awake now, so," she shrugged. "I fully expect you to make it up to me later."

The two showered and dressed, strolling into the Common Room an hour later, hand in hand. The Marauders were already awake, loafing around 'their' set of sofas and chairs near the staircase to the boy's dorms. They were all far more subdued than normal, the letter from Sirius' mother still at the forefront of their minds.

Lily and Addie emerged from the girl's stairs a few minutes later, followed by Dorcas, Alice, and Mary. Frank joined them, and together, the Gryffindor seventh years, plus Addie, headed off to breakfast.

Sunday morning it may have been, but there were still plenty of young witches and wizard around the four house tables, eating and chattering as normal. Nothing had deviated from the norm, but so much was so different. All Harry could think about was all the children he saw now, all the children who would live if Voldemort was defeated in this dimension.

The seventh years parted ways after the meal, Frank and Alice wandering off for some private time, while Dorcas and Mary made their way to a meeting of the Gobstones club. That left the Marauders, Lily, Hermione, and Addie to gather their homework from the Common Room then go to the Room of Requirement.

Harry paced outside the blank stretch of wall, requesting a smaller and more comfortable version of the Common Room- and in more comforting colors than red and gold. The room provided for them- a lovely space, cozy with a small fire, squishy couches and armchairs with large cushions, and a chess set, bookshelf, and a pack of Exploding Snap cards.

They spread out, Harry and Hermione claiming a large armchair, Sirius sprawling out on one of the couches, Remus offering to teach Adelynne to play chess, and James and Lily sharing a loveseat. They all looked tired, Lily especially, closing her eyes and resting her head on James' shoulder.

For a few hours, they just talked in low voices, cheering on Addie as she tried to beat Remus, then Sirius at chess, teasing Harry and James about their girls, and just being teenagers. Hermione read for a bit while Adelynne tried her hand against Harry, her last game before she joined Hermione and Lily as they planned the Easter wedding, Harry throwing in his opinion occasionally.

The break was in three weeks- they had until then to plan the wedding. Flowers were chosen, guest list written, and bridesmaids picked. Lily would be Maid of Honor, and James would be the Best Man. Remus would escort Mary, Sirius would accompany Addie, and Peter was paired with Dorcas. Frank and Alice, were, of course, going together. A few more members of their class were invited, Will Carey, for one. McGonagall had been invited, as had Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey.

Sirius had made his decision clear- he would be with Harry and Hermione at their wedding, no matter what his mother said. He had illustrated this decision by ceremoniously ripping his mother's letter to shreds and burning each piece in the fire.

"They already disowned me when I ran away from home last summer," he said to explain. "Now they realized I would be useful. There is no way I am going home for Easter."

Hermione put a hand on his arm, speaking softly. "You might want to reconsider, Sirius."

He twisted up to look at her, grey eyes dark. "Do you know something I don't, Hermione?"

"I might," Hermione said with a shrug. "From what I remember Sirius telling me, your parents are nearing the ends of their lives. It might be your last chance to say goodbye."

"I don't care," Sirius retorted. "I hate them. My father is weak and my mother is cruel. It doesn't matter if Reggie gets the house and the title and everything. My uncle left me plenty of money in his will and I have James."

"Right-o, Padfoot, my boy," James interjected. "You can stay with me for as long as you'd like." It was clear from the looks both he and Sirius were sending her that the discussion was over.

* * *

The weeks until the Easter break flew by faster than either Harry or Hermione could have ever guessed. Meals melted into classes, classes into days, and days into weeks. The time was filled with homework, friends, and wedding preparations as the Spring Break loomed closer and closer.

Loomed might not have been the right word- although it did have a ring of truth to it. Both Harry and Hermione were growing increasingly nervous regarding their impending nuptials.

Hermione knew she loved Harry. She knew she loved him beyond any doubt, beyond any worry or any fear. She knew that they would be happy together- as long as they had one another. Harry made her smile, whether it was a private joke between the two of them in the midst of another conversation, or when they were idly talking in the evenings when it was just them. She trusted him, with her life and with her soul. Hermione _knew_ he would protect her with any means necessary, that he would love her for as long as she loved him, and that as soon as they settled down in their dimension they would work on building a life and a family together.

And even so, she had her doubts. She couldn't even say they were irrational- her love for Harry, strong as it was, was the more unreasonable of the two. How could she be so sure they would be happy? How did she know that they wouldn't fall out of love, or get on each other's nerves fifty years later? Would he leave her for someone else, or abandon her and never look back? They were so young- how did they know they were meant for each other so early in their lives?

But then he would catch her eye, and smile at her. And she would know- he loved her, they would be happy, in love forever. Of course she wasn't going into marriage blind- she knew that even people who loved each other dearly bickered and sometimes they would fall out of love.

But he was Harry- and as long as he was the sweet, brave, _Harry _she had always known, she would be content.

Harry knew he loved Hermione- she was his constant companion, the girl who would fight tooth and nail for him, and anyone else who was in danger. She comforted him when he needed comforting, stood by his side when no one else would, and saved his life just as often as he saved hers. He could trust her with his life and the life of his friends. Her intelligence astounded him, her sympathy for all living creatures amazed him, and her love for him awed him.

But what if she left him. What if she realized what a walking danger magnet she was and feared for her life. Or what if the Dursleys had ruined him- what if he couldn't love her properly, or he couldn't be a good father. In his nightmares, in his darkest dreams, Harry saw her leaving him with their children.

But then she would kiss him briefly on the lips, brushing her fingers across his cheeks with the familiarity that comes with knowing you have forever. And he would know that she was his Hermione and she would love him for as long as he loved her.

Pre-wedding jitters aside, the days were growing warmer and the Marauders had enjoyed an exhilarating full moon. Hermione and Harry had continued the Animagus training that had halted during the search for the Horcruxes, with some discernible results. (Fur and tufted ears appearing every now and then, to Hermione's disappointment- she had hoped she would learn faster.)

Will Carey, the Professors, and a few other people had been discreetly invited to the wedding, scheduled for March 31st, the Saturday after Easter.

"Do you ever think how strange it is that we're getting married before we are even born?" Hermione asked her fiancé one day. The two dimensional travelers were resting in their Common Room, reading together.

Harry laughed, pulling her tighter in his arms. "I think it's strange that we are getting married at all. Think about it- we can't even legally drink yet! But I suppose it is strange considering that my parents aren't even married. Or engaged. Or anything but dating. Or the fact that they are still in school. Or that we are in school with them. This entire situation is strange!"

"If you put it that way," Hermione conceded, giggling. "I can't wait to get married in our dimension. With Ron and Ginny and Luna. All the Weasleys, Neville, all our Professors who remember when we were children…"

Before they knew what was happening, they were passing through the Floo in McGonagall's office and into the Floo in James' sitting room.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter welcomed the couple, both remarking on how identical Harry, James, and Mr. Potter (Henry) looked. Henry had more gray hairs than either James or Harry, but was shorter than both of them. Hermione found herself watching Harry's grandfather- she supposed that was what Harry would look like in thirty or forty years, knobbly knees and all.

The ancestral home of the Potters was a venerable mansion, with more than enough room for Mr. and Mrs. Potter, James, Harry, Hermione, and Sirius. The day before the wedding, the rest of the Gryffindor seventh years would be sleeping over, to help prepare for the wedding.

Additionally, the Marauders were planning the bachelor party of the century for Harry. He had insisted that they not go to a strip club, and incidentally, the Marauders agreed that a strip club would not be on the agenda. (Mostly because of Lily… and Hermione. No one wanted them getting mad the night before the wedding.)

Hermione's wedding dress arrived three days before the wedding, hidden in an opaque bag far from Harry's sight. He wasn't even allowed near the room that held the secret gown, something that did not bother him much. He couldn't wait to see Hermione in her dress- he was sure she would look beautiful.

He was sure she would look even better that night- she wanted to wait until marriage, and they had waited until marriage. Harry had agreed with the choice- and he hadn't minded waiting very much. When he had arrived it had certainly not been the right time. But then again, Harry James Potter was just about eighteen years old and more than ready to make love to the woman who would be his wife.

And he had his plans- he couldn't wait until their wedding.

Sirius' parents died mysteriously about three days into the break. The grey eyed boy who had been blasted off the family tree was the last direct male descendent of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black- first in line to the position of Head of the Family.

As expected, Regulus Black, aided by his cousin's finance Lucius Malfoy, contested this bitterly. Since Sirius had been forcefully removed from the family tree, he argued, he had been disinherited. However, since he had not been officially disinherited with proof to the Goblins and the Wizengamot, Sirius Black was now the Head of his Family, with access to the Black vaults, heirlooms, and properties.

Sirius had to attend meeting after meeting, solemn in dark robes, the seal of the Head of House Black resting heavily on his finger. The usually jovial teen had been replaced with a somber young man, at least the rest of the world.

"I can't believe they- I can't believe they are _gone_," he said, lying on the couch in James' sitting room, hands linked behind his head. "My mum especially- I didn't think any living thing could kill her."

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Hermione said quietly. "They may have not been the world's best parents, but they were still your mum and dad." She rested a pale hand on his arm, squeezing it once before retreating the Harry's side. They were inseparable; it was impossible to find Harry without Hermione.

Sirius shrugged, moving one arm to examine the ring. "I'm sadder than I thought I would be. I always thought that one day-" He stopped, letting his hand drop back down.

"One day you would reconcile," James finished. "Yeah, mate. I know. But hey- you've got the creepy house in London now. And what about Reggie?"

"He's more torn up than I am," Sirius admitted. "Cyrus- my other uncle- is staying with him at Grimmauld Place. They've made it clear I'm not welcome there, never mind it's my own bloody house." He scowled at the wall, put his face cleared suddenly. "I won't need to move in with you after all, Prongs. I can buy myself a nice flat and stay there."

Harry grinned at him, and reminded the orphaned boy about his Christmas present. "And you have your own methods of transportation. A flying motorbike. You're lucky, Padfoot."

And so the deaths of Walburga and Orion Black passed noticed, but not exactly mourned.

* * *

The day before the wedding, Harry and Hermione were sitting on their bed (shared, to the consternation of Mrs. Potter. James had explained but his mum was still shocked.) and looking at Hermione's old photo album.

"What's that one?" asked Harry, looking at the very first picture. In it, an eleven year old Hermione was sitting between her parents. It was a Muggle picture, a snapshot frozen in time. "You look like your mum."

"Me and my parents. They wanted me to have a picture of them at Hogwarts. Actually, this picture was with me in the bathroom on Halloween first year." Hermione and Harry both looked up at the same time, and their eyes met. Memories of terror and relief flooded the two of them.

He leaned over and kissed her sweetly. "Best thing I ever did," he whispered fervently. "We would never have gotten to know each other otherwise."

The next few pictures were of Ron and Harry, goofing off in the Common Room, the three of them outside by the lake, then a few pictures Harry remembered taking of Hermione doing magic. The pictures moved, so her parents could see her levitate objects and do simple transfigurations. "I did those ones," Harry said aloud. "What did your parents think?"

"They loved them," Hermione said wistfully. "I miss them. When we get back, we need to go see if they are still alive in Australia." Her poor parents- although they didn't miss her because they couldn't remember her.

"Of course, love," Harry agreed. "I'll go with you and explain why you needed to do it."

The last pictures for first year were hidden- Hermione hadn't wanted her parents seeing those ones. Those photos featured Hagrid, Norbert, and Harry playing Quidditch. Hermione's parents would have panicked if they knew the sheer about of times Hermione or her friends had been that close to dragons.

The pictures for second year were far less lighthearted, although the smiles were genuine. Harry looked slightly better fed in those pictures, having the benefit of half the summer spent at the Burrow and a previous year full of Hogwarts meals. Ron was just as freckled and redheaded as usual, and Ginny was even in a few of them.

"You can see something is wrong with her in these pictures," Hermione said softly. "I asked her about it a few times, but she just said it was homesickness. But look at how pale she is. How tired she looks."

Harry took the pictures, examining it. "Yeah. Having Riddle in your head constantly will do that to you." Halfway through second year though, the pictures trickled to a dismal number, then stopped. "What happened here?" asked Harry. "You are in some of these, so it was before the basilisk got you."

"Colin was petrified," Hermione reminded him. "He was the one who took most of the ones with all of us in them. He was happy to give me a copy of the pictures after he developed them."

Third year had happier pictures, some of the three of them wandering Hogsmeade (Harry came out from under the cloak occasionally to wink at them then disappeared again), some of the castle during winter, and the three of them laughing in the snow. There were the pictures of Harry playing Quidditch, Ron beating Harry at chess, and Hermione reading avidly. In the pictures, Hermione's hair gradually grew sleeker, the bushy curls flattening out as she hit puberty. For a while, she was taller than Harry until he grew again as well. Ron shot up like a sprout, towering over the both of them.

"Things were good then," Hermione said with a sigh. "Sure you had a man who supposedly killed thirteen people after you, but we weren't really worried about anything then."

"Yeah," agreed Harry. "Look at you. You look twelve, not fourteen." Hermione rolled her eyes at him, and he pulled her closer and kissed her. "You grew up. Now you could pass for eighteen."

"That's because I am eighteen, you prat," she giggled, mussing his hair. "Look at these ones from fourth year."

Hermione was standing with Viktor Krum at the entrance to the Great Hall, Hermione smiling at the camera and Viktor scowling. "I was so jealous of him," Harry admitted. "Best flyer in the world plus you for his date. And then Cedric got Cho. I would have rather been there with either one of you. At least we can hold a conversation."

There were a few more pictures of Harry, Hermione, and Ron having fun, being typical teenagers. From the first few pictures of the year, it was just Harry and Hermione, because they had quarreled with Ron. The next photos- the ones from the summer- were the ones that caught Harry's eye.

"Who's this?" he asked, pointing out a sandy-haired boy with his arm around Hermione. "Looks like was getting pretty familiar with you, love."

Hermione winced, turning the page. "His name was Andrew. Family friend- he was a Muggle. Very interested but I turned him down. And here is fifth year! Merlin, we lot look grim."

It was true- the faces in the pictures were tighter, drawn. Umbridge had ruled the school, Dumbledore had been thrown out, and Voldemort had risen again. There were a few good pictures of the D. A., shots of kids practicing, having general fun, and one or two group pictures. They looked through the rest of the year, pausing for a moment on a picture of Harry near the lake, alone. The picture looked like it was trying hard not to cry at times, then it changed to a look of grim determination. Harry reached for that one, then flipped past it without a word. The next picture was one of the Order of the Phoenix, shoved back in the wrong place.

"Weird," Hermione muttered. "This one belongs at the front. Fred and George waved at them, Ginny winked, Harry and Hermione looked at each other, mouthing something. Sirius had an arm thrown around his godson, and Remus was smiling wearily. "Poor Remus- he looks so tired."

"I think that was just after he got back from going under cover with werewolves," Harry proposed. "Or maybe it was just after a full moon."

"Prolly," Hermione agreed. "I like this one- it's you and Sirius." The two men in the picture were laughing, relaxing in the Sitting Room of Grimmauld Place. "And look- Sixth Year looks better."

There were a few pictures of Ron's short lived relationship with Lavender, Harry and Luna together before Slughorn's party, and then two of Harry and Ginny. In one picture, Harry looked content, one arm around the small red haired girl who reached up and kissed his cheek. In the other the couple were walking around the lake, hand in hand. Sometimes the picture Harry would pull Ginny in and kiss the top of her head.

Hermione reached out to turn the page, hand trembling slightly. They looked so happy- like such a typical couple in love. "Do you miss her?" she asked, voice small.

"Yes," Harry said simply, grabbing Hermione's hand. "She is a friend. But I don't love her. Hermione, you are the love of my life. Forever and always."

She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. "I love you too. Tomorrow…" she let her voice trail off. "I'll be your wife."

"To love and obey?" Harry asked cheekily. "I'd like that."

She smacked him lightly on the arm. "Chauvinistic man. To love and to cherish." They settled back against the headboard of the bed, the photo book spread over their laps.

"Seventh Year," Hermione said softly. "There aren't many pictures from our dimension. Just of the summer. And I had a few of the wedding but I don't think I ever developed them. And just one of Tonks and Remus from their wedding."

On the corner of the picture, Tonks had written, _The Metamorphmagus and her werewolf. Cheers, Tonks and Remus Lupin._ On the back, Hermione had carefully marked the date. "They look happy," Hermione said wistfully. Remus was in a dapper, old-fashioned suit, and a smile that looked liable to split his face. He kept leaning over to kiss Tonks. Nymphadora Tonks cleaned up nice- she was wearing a long gown that accentuated her strong shoulders and fit arms, as well as her small waist. Her hair changed from long and curly to short and pink in the time frame of the picture. Both the occupants waved happily at them.

"They do," Harry agreed. "That'll be us, tomorrow." He couldn't wait to have Hermione in his arms, dressed in white with a ring on her finger.

The next section of the book was titled, "Seventh Year in the Seventies," and it was filled with pictures of the Marauders. Lily and James grinning at the camera, Sirius and James goofing off, Remus reading by the lake, James and Sirius tossing around a Quaffle fifty feet in the air.

"James and Sirius are like brothers, aren't they?" Hermione asked, shaking her head over one picture. The two Gryffindors were sprawled across each other, shirtless. They had lost some bet to Remus, and had taken their punishment gracefully. "If Lily wasn't in the picture, I'd wonder about the two of them." Harry laughed, turning the page.

"Hermione," he whispered, shocked. In the picture in the middle of the next page, Hermione was stuck in the middle of a James and Sirius sandwich. Her face was gaunt, and you could still see the fading remnants of a bruise on her face- it had been taken two days after she arrived. "Mione."

"It was bad," Hermione admitted. "But I'm better now. And as soon as we get home again, I will get healthier and in Australia there is sun and beaches. It'll be alright. That was months ago," she reassured him. The other pictures were better, Hermione giving a tiny smile to the camera, waving it away with on hand. Hermione and the girls who shared her dorm talking in one corner of the Gryffindor Common Room. One that Hermione was especially proud of- she couldn't wait to give it to Neville. Alice and Frank were smiling up into the camera, sitting together by the lake.

Harry took in these pictures avidly, gazing hungrily at the snippets of the one part of Hermione's life he hadn't been there for. They had been attached at the hip since first year- her childhood and the time she spent in an alternate dimension were the only thing he hadn't been there for.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly. "These next ones are the pictures from after when you came." Harry featured prominently in all of those- Harry and Hermione, Harry and his parents, Harry and Sirius. Harry, Sirus, James, and Remus playing two-on-two Quidditch. (Harry hadn't joined the Quidditch team after all- he had just been content to borrow a broom occasionally and fly, much to Hermione's relief.)

Addy was in some of the pictures, her shy smile usually hidden by a curtain of dark hair. Hermione was usually next to her in these pictures, and many of them were just of the two girls talking.

"I can't wait to get married," Harry said when they were finished, closing the book. "That was one chapter of our lives. I want to start a new one." They scooted down in the bed, lying down.

Hermione sighed dreamily. "Our house. We'll get jobs, I suppose. Children eventually."

"Maybe I'll finally get a chance to be an Auror," Harry mused. "You know. Change the Ministry, try to clear out all the corruption. I hope Kingsley took over as Minister. He'll be a good one."

They were quiet for a moment. "What happens if nothing's changed?" Hermione asked. "If they didn't change, if they refuse to learn from history."

"Then we leave and become hermits," Harry said. "Except we'll be hermits together. Mingling hermits-" Hermione shook her head and kissed him to shut him up.

"We can move," Hermione said after she pulled back, laughing. "Go to Australia. Or France. Maybe even America. We can go to University there or something."

"But let's try Britain first," Harry said. "It's home, after all."

Their talk was interrupted by the thumping of feet on the stairs. "Lovebirds!" the heard Sirius shout. "Everyone else has arrived! Lily wants you down here!"

"We're coming!" shouted Hermione. "We'll be down in a minute!"

Everyone was happy to see them, congratulations were offered and hugs given. Harry was kicked out of his bedroom- he wasn't happy, but he wouldn't be seeing Hermione until the wedding. Hermione was dragged upstairs by the girls to show off her wedding dress. The tow had only a moment for their eyes to meet, and then they were separated for the night.

* * *

"So this is your wedding dress," Alice said, examining it with a critical eye. "Nice. Very- modern." It was obvious the plump girl was a shade doubtful about the gown.

Hermione and Lily exchanged looks, clearly saying, _You have no idea._ It was true- the dress was very modern. Of course, it was modified classic if you were in 1998, but in 1978, it was certainly different. "I designed it myself," Hermione responded, glancing over her dress one more time. "I like it."

"I think it's brilliant," Addie said, leaping to Hermione's defense. She and the blonde seventh year still didn't get along very well.

"Me too," Alice hastened to assure Hermione. "I love it. I'm sure you'll look great in it- Harry's eyes might fall out of his head or something."

Hermione smirked slightly, running her fingertips over the lace. "That's the idea."

Lily took over the discussion, explaining to Alice what they had planned to do with her hair and makeup, demonstrating with a few quick spells on the mannequin wearing the wedding gown. As soon as she wad done, the girls moved over to the vase that held the enchanted flowers Hermione would be using for her bouquet.

"Beautiful," Alice sighed. "I love flowers. Frank promised me a greenhouse at Longbottom Manor after we leave school." Hermione and Lily both looked at Lily, then at her left hand- it was bare, but there was a slight shimmer around the ring finger.

Lily grabbed her friend's hand and looked at the girl, question in her eyes and tone. "Alice- did Frank already propose?"

"Yes," Alice admitted, blushing prettily, then looking at Hermione guiltily. "He proposed yesterday, but we didn't want to say anything until after the wedding. It is your day, after all."

"Don't worry about it," Hermione said excitedly, giving Alice a hug. "I'm so happy for you and Frank. Do you know when the wedding will be? Sometime in the summer?"

"Yes, the summer," Alice confirmed. "But enough about me. Let's go to your room and get you ready for your bachelorette party."

* * *

**Well- tell me what you thought. Honesty as always, right? **

**NEWS: I've been writing my dream story: my very own perfect version of the ultimate Severus Snape/ Hermione Granger relationship. I have about fifty pages so far (!) and I'm writing this very rapidly. (that was one of the reasons this chapter was long in coming. Sorry 'bout that.) How many people would be interested in a SS/HG story? It has a very select fanbase, but I really do love the pairing. I hope I can live up to the Gods and Goddess of SS/HG fanfics. I am very excited for this next story- I am trying to keep the writing quality as high as I can, be more descriptive and so forth. I even planned out the plot in full. (!) **

**And I am also writing the prize story for Horse Luver Furever- she wanted a story where Ron has a bad day and I am writing it. I'm bad at humor though, so… we'll see. If anyone wants to donate an idea, feel free. :)**

**Anyway, leave me a review telling me what you thought. I love you all- 1, 045 reviews. I hope we can make it to 1,100 this time? 55 reviews? Please? **


	40. The Wedding of Hermione Granger

**Here you go- the long awaited wedding of our two favorite characters. **

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews. I know last chapter wasn't my best moment, but I hope that this extra-long chappie will make up for it. If not… well, this chapter gives me some room for bonus extras. **

**I've never been to a wedding… so I prolly didn't get any of the details right. But it is a Wizarding/muggle wedding, and this is Fanfiction, so I don't think you can really hold it against me. At least, I'm pretty sure. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Nervous, mate?" James asked, nudging Harry with an elbow. "Because you look like it." Four of the five Marauders were waiting with Harry in one of the many rooms of James' home.

Sirius nodded solemnly, squinting at Harry. "Yeah. You look like a Frenchman in 1793. In other words, like there is a guillotine in your near future." He cracked a smile at his own wit, high-fiving James as the other boy started laughing

"Shut up," Harry growled good naturedly. "Or I'll tell Hermione. She'll sort you out," he threatened. The door opened, admitting Lily.

"Not today, she won't," Lily said, planting her hands on her hips to inspect the boys. Obediently, they formed a line for inspection. She went to Harry first, tugging at his collar and adjusting the flower in his buttonhole. She knew from experience that his hair was unmanageable, so she left it alone with a sigh, moving on to his glasses.

When she was finished, she gave him a long hug. "I know that you're not really my son," she whispered, "But Harry, I will remember this day. You are marrying the girl who became my best friend in months. I-" her voice broke. "Harry, I love you- you are part of our family. Take care of her."

"I will," Harry promised. "Love ya too, Lily."

James was ordered to stand up straight, and his glasses were set straight on his nose with a Sticking Charm. Remus was almost presentable, Lily only using a quick spell to tuck in the back of his shirt for him. Sirius- Lily gave up on Sirius. He looked effortless cool anyway, so she let it slide.

"At least pay attention during the ceremony," Lily said with a sigh, flapping a hand at him.

He captured the hand, bringing it to his lips. "Of course, milady. And since Prongs hasn't said anything, may I tell you how beautiful you look?"

Lily was in her pale green gown, hair already swept up and held firmly in place by two jade pins. She smiled shyly, then turned brusque again. "Thank you, Sirius."

"You do look beautiful," James said in a low voice, breaking his place in line to stand in front of her. "My lovely lady Lily." He kissed her quickly.

Harry laughed. "Cool it, you two. It's my wedding day." Lily and James broke apart, blushing.

"Sorry," James said unapologetically. "I couldn't resist. And don't say anything more, because if our positions were reversed, you would be all over Hermione." Remus and Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Where is Addie?" asked Sirius suddenly, glancing around. "I'm escorting her, right?"

Shaking her head, Lily laughed. "Yes, Sirius. She's with Hermione, helping her get ready. She can do wonders with hair, that girl."

The boys looked at each other, confused. "If you say so, Lily," said Remus. "Are Frank and Alice going to join us soon?"

"Alice is with Hermione, Dorcas, and Mary," Lily explained, turning to leave. "I sent Frank to help usher. You have half an hour to get down to the garden, and get into your places." With a last kiss on James' cheek, Lily left the room.

* * *

"You look gorgeous, Hermione," Adelynne breathed, large brown eyes open in awe. "Beautiful."

A pale rose color came to Hermione's cheeks. "Thanks, Adelynne. I feel beautiful." The girl staring back at her in the mirror was something out of a fairytale. The gown was sleeveless, delicate and lacy. Tight until her hips, the long skirt ended in a slight train. The veil was lace, falling over her bound curls. The makeup Dorcas had applied highlighted her soft brown eyes, her red lips. She danced the line between innocent and seductive, all lace and red lips.

Lily reentered the room, smiling gently when she saw Hermione. "You look amazing," she told her friend, hugging her carefully. "Did you apply a waterproofing charm to the makeup?"

"Yes," Hermione answered, turning and feeling the skirt swish. "I know I'm going to start crying." She was so nervous- there was a knot of nervous excitement in her stomach that was growing larger by the minute.

Alice walked over to stand next to Hermione. "We are going to make such a great picture," said the tall, lithe girl. "I love this color. And your dress looks great on you."

The ceremony would not be a typical Muggle one, nor would it be a Wizarding ritual. Therefore, Hermione had a Maid of Honor (Lily) and Harry had a Best Man (James) but they did not have groomsmen or bridesmaids. Addie was in a deep blue dress that contrasted beautifully with her dark skin, luxurious hair falling free. Alice was wearing grey, a simple sheath that made her strong, athletic body look soft and feminine at the same time. Rosy pink dress robes made Dorcas' soft yellow hair and blue eyes shine, and Mary was delicate and airy in silver dress robes.

Lily checked the time with a quick _Tempus_, gasping slightly. "Hermione, we have ten minutes. The boys are waiting, and Harry is probably getting to the altar now."

"Not quite yet," Sirius said, followed by James, Remus, Peter, and Frank. "He's in the garden, mingling. Jamsie's parents are with him." He made his way over to Hermione, hugging her gently. "You look gorgeous, Hermione."

"That's what I told her," Addie said happily, calling Sirius' attention to younger Italian girl. "Isn't she beautiful!"

"Very," Remus said dryly. "Hermione, love, Harry is a lucky man." The werewolf also hugged the traveler, kissing her forehead protectively.

James offered his hand, twirling Hermione. "Exquisite. Far turn from how you showed here, huh Lils?" He kissed Hermione's hand. "But Harry is waiting for you. We've come to pick up the girls."

Lily ushered them all outside to the gardens, where a tall hedge acted at a wall. There was an ivy covered trellis as a gate, with a flagstone path leading to an erected altar. Harry stood there, with the man who would officiate the ceremony.

The garden was filled with flowers and ivy, carefully maintained while still holding an air of the untamable. The wedding guests were on either side of the flagstone path, sitting in the white chairs made of magic. Lily's parents were there, the only Muggles invited. A few schoolmates were present, a few teachers, the Potters, and the Lupins.

Dorcas, Mary, and Alice hugged Hermione quickly, linking arms with their men and joining the rest of the crowd in their places of honor. Sirius pulled Hermione to the side quickly, with James.

"We love you, Hermione," Sirius said solemnly. "You are exactly what a friend should be- and you've sacrificed so much for the future of this world and we know it. Plus you've helped us with just about everything. And saved our lives." It wasn't often that the grey-eyed boy spoke so clearly on his thoughts, but it was a special day.

James nodded, nudging his brother-friend. "We know you're leaving in a few months, and that Harry is a good man. But know that if he _ever_ hurts you, you can come to us and we will get a group together and deal with him. Or what's left of him when you're finished." He cracked a smile, running a hand through his messy hair in the same way Harry did.

Hermione's eyes were damp as she hugged the two boys- men, really, now- tightly. "I love both of you. My boys. Best friends a girl could ask for."

"Don't cry, Hermione!" James exclaimed, glancing over at Lily with worry in his hazel eyes. "If your makeup or something like that was ruined, Lily will have our skins!"

She gave a watery chuckle. "Go," she ordered. "Or I'll get over emotional again." They followed her directions, Sirius gallantly escorting Addie to the front of the assembled guests, where they joined Remus and Mary.

"Are you ready, Hermione?" Lily asked breathlessly, clutching her friend with one hand and James with her other. "To get married?"

Hermione nodded, face thoughtful. "I've loved Harry a long time," she said finally. "This is just… making it official. While wearing a pretty dress."

"Smile," Lily instructed. "I'll start the violins and piano now-" and with a quick spell she did just that, the small enchanted orchestra starting up with a wave of her wand. "James and I will go now." Lily hugged Hermione again quickly, then accepted James' arm, moving to the ivy gate with him.

They disappeared down the path, and Hermione found herself alone. This was it- the moment she had been dreaming of for years. Here she was in a white dress, veil, and barefoot (for the magical part of the ceremony). Harry was waiting for her on the other end of the path she was standing on.

A swell in the music told Hermione that it was time for her to walk. She wished her father was there with her- but she squared her shoulders and moved to the gate. It was time.

She began to walk down the aisle, clutching her flowers tightly. Her heart was beating fast, and she could _feel_ all the eyes on her. Granted, they were the eyes of people she knew. But there was only one pair of eyes she wanted to meet-

And there they were. A deep mossy green, Harry's eyes drew her in, and Hermione could feel her smile grow wider. This was the man she was going to bind her life to, the man who she was in love with. Harry Potter.

Harry, for his part, had been waiting impatiently for his fiancée. He was calm for the most part- but his heart quickened when Remus and Sirius took their seats, and again when Lily and James joined him at the raised dais.

When the music reached Hermione's part, his eyes snapped to the gate.

And there she was- a wonder in white and lace. Her eyes were wide, clear to him even from far away. She looked astonishingly, jaw-droppingly beautiful. The wind moved her hair and veil, shiny curls visible for a moment before the breeze passed. Then his eyes met hers, and he was captivated.

It was only a moment before she reached the altar, and he was offering her his hand to step up to the dais. Lily took her bouquet, but all he noticed was both of her small white hands in his.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of two people, man and woman, into one. One heart, one mind, one spirit," said the officiator, a young man with clear brown eyes and wavy hair. "They will promise to hold the other's heart, to listen to their mind, and to find harmony in their spirits. Marriage between non-magical humans is not simple: it requires faithfulness through good times and bad, through sickness and in health, and for better or for worse.

"For wizards, matrimony is taken a step further through magic. There are spells for fidelity, for understanding, and for love. Potions can test loyalty, spill truths, and create infatuation. Rituals can connect minds and souls, and rites can show the hidden.

"The couple standing before you today has chosen to do one of the rarer magical rituals. First they will recite their vows, and reaffirm their love."

The officiator nodded at Harry, who reached out a hand and tucked on of Hermione's errant curls behind her ears. "Hermione Jane Granger," he said quietly, knowing his voice would be projected to the crowd. "I met you when I was eleven years old. I wouldn't have made it to my twelfth birthday, not to mention my seventeenth, if you were not the amazing person you are. Your mind amazes me; I have never met a person as intelligent as you are. You are sweet, caring, beautiful. I can trust you to have my back in a fight, and tell me when I'm wrong. I love you."

He paused for a moment, stroking the side of her hand with his thumb. "I love you. You know that I would do anything for you. You know I would kill for you. I would die for you. I would cross the ends of the earth to find you. When I am near you, my world is better, brighter. When we are apart, I am anxious and worried, desperate to have you near me. You are the love of my life, and I will be yours for the rest of my days. I will love you forever and a day, until the earth stands still and we have long been dust."

Hermione smiled gently at him. "Harry James Potter. For seven years, we have been best friends. For seven years, we have grown, struggling to live in a world of magic we never knew existed. We've fought everything from rouge trolls to plants hell-bent on killing us, even a wizard who wanted both of us dead. My love for you has grown from the adoration of the boy who saved my life to the passion we have today, as equals. The forges of war have heated it, the winds of time have nurtured the flame, and in the shelter of the peace we have found here, it has blossomed."

"I cannot wait to bind my life to yours," Hermione continued, feeling in her voice growing stronger. "You are everything I could want in a life partner- brave, loyal, trusting. You want to protect me, but you know that I can take care of myself. You listen to what I say and take it into account. You put up with all my idiosyncrasies and peculiar habits, and love me for them. You are the most important thing in my life, my sun, my stars, my moon. You are the only person who I could feel this way about. I love you."

The guests were silent, some shocked, others nodding quietly in understanding. Hermione and Harry were meant for each other, and that was that. Nothing else about it.

The officiator picked up a white cord from the small table to the side. "You have professed your love. I now bind you with this cord, symbolizing the purity of body and soul." He bound Hermione's right wrist and Harry's left with the cord.

Next, he filled a goblet with rich red wine, and waited until the couple grasped it in both hands. "You will drink from this chalice, symbolizing the harmony necessary for your marriage to work." First Hermione drank, the heady taste of the wine filled with crushed herbs coating her throat. She savored it on her tongue. Next was Harry, bending his head to taste the wine.

Slowly, the officiator began to incant the ancient ritual, unfamiliar words in a foreign tongue as the flush of the wine rose to their cheeks. Hermione could feel the sunlight more acutely, the gentle touch of the lace on her skin, the scent of the flowers in the breeze. Harry's hands were warm around hers, the white cord glowing brightly and growing hotter and hotter as the officiator's voice rose in power and volume.

With a flash, the white cord disappeared, sinking into their skin. Harry and Hermione looked up at the same time, their eyes meeting. The last part of the ritual was the one that hurt…

The officiator handed Harry the knife, point down as was the custom. Harry accepted it with a nod, hands trembling almost imperceptibly.

"With this knife, I call forth your lifeblood," Harry said loudly, taking Hermione's delicate hand in his and rubbing it softly in apology before drawing the blade down her right palm.

She took the knife from him, doing the same to his right hand. "With this knife, I call forth your lifeblood," she said as well, giving the knife back to the officiator. They pressed their hands together, and the man chanted again, voice rising and falling with the incantation. A thrill of tingling energy magic rushed through both of them, their backs arching as it raced from their hands to the rest of their bodies. A bright light enveloped them, fading after a moment. The guests murmured appreciatively; the proof of the love they had just professed was more than sufficient.

When their hands parted, the scar looked as if it had been there for years instead of seconds. "You are now bonded," the officiator said happily. "Harry James Potter, do you take this woman to be your wife in the eyes of the law, as well as in the eyes of the ancient magicks?"

"I do," Harry said clearly, eyes alight with a joy the Hermione knew must be reflected in her own.

The officiator turned to her. "Hermione Jane Granger, do you take this man to be your husband in the eyes of the law, as well as in the eyes of the ancient magicks?"

Hermione breathed deeply. "I do," she said with barely a tremble in her voice.

"Then I pronounce you lawfully wed in the eyes of the British Empire, and bonded by the strength of your love and magic," the officiator said, addressing the crowd, and then the couple. "You may now kiss the bride."

They stepped closer to each other at the same time, one of Harry's arms going around her waist and the other reaching up to cup her face. Both her hands were trapped between their chests as they shared a private smile. Then he leaned down to kiss her, sweetly and gently moving his mouth against hers. The people behind them erupted in applause.

She leaned forward, heart already aching with the sweetness of the passing moment. Harry, too, seemed reluctant to end the kiss.

But as all good things, it came to an end. Their lips parted, and, holding hands, they faced the crowd. Lily and Addie were, predictably, crying happily. James and Sirius looked like they were moments from storming the dais and pounding Harry on the back, and Remus was quietly thoughtful.

After came the storm of congratulations and hugs, everyone was ushered inside for the reception. Hermione couldn't let of Harry's hand- they were dragged along together or not at all. The two hardly had a minute to catch their breath.

She could hardly believe it- this had been coming for so long, and now it was real. She was married to Harry Potter. She was Mrs. Harry James Potter. They would spend the rest of their lives together, as one. Their futures were intertwined, their fates wound together.

In between the wedding and the reception, they stopped in a hallway, giving everyone else instructions to go on to the food, reassuring the rest that a reappearance would be made soon.

"So," Harry said, leaning against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment before glancing at her shyly. "We're married."

Hermione giggled, a nervous giggle as full of happiness as it was full of awkwardness. "We are."

"This means I can kiss you whenever I want," Harry said mock-seriously. "My husbandly privilege. One of the benefits of matrimony, you know."

Hermione gave him a relieved smile, leaning against his chest. "You could kiss me whenever you wanted before," Hermione reminded him with a laugh. "Now we are _married._ Like you can visit me in the hospital and get all my stuff when I die, married. Like we should live in the same house and have children, married."

"Like you are all mine, married," Harry said in a low, possessive voice, drawing her closer to him and resting his head on her curls. "No one can take you from me ever again."

She wound her arms around his neck, lifting her head and kissing him. He responded happily, although he resisted the urge to lift her up and pin her against the wall. Even through the happy-kissing-Hermione-oh-my-god-I-want-this-never-to-stop haze, Harry knew that if he messed up her wedding dress, he would be dead. Done for. Or maybe she wouldn't mind… it was Hermione after all, and sometimes, if he had a good reason, he could-

"We should get to the reception," Hermione whispered in his ear, sounding slightly dizzy. "They will probably wait for us to eat." The slight guilt in her voice was the only reason she had stopped the kiss, or so Harry reckoned.

"Right," Harry said, breathing hard. "Reception. Okay." Great. James and Sirius would make toasts and mock him mercilessly. Lovely, as Hermione would say. Plum bloody lovely. At least there would be good food, and laughter.

* * *

The food at the reception was excellent, a testament to the cooking skills of the Potter's house elves. The room was arraigned with one large round table, allowing Harry and Hermione to be surrounded by friends. The professors had gone back to Hogwarts, but the Lupins stayed, as did the rest of their Hogwarts friends.

The Lupins were an odd couple- Mr. Lupin was tall and burly, resembling Remus in face alone. He was a giant among men, although he wouldn't have quite reached Hagrid's chin. His wife, the lovely Mrs. Lupin, was short and slender, with a pale oval of a face that might have been beautiful once, before the lines of worry and fear had worn it down. Her sandy hair was streaked with grey, but carefully done up in a braid. They were a quietly strong couple, and Harry remembered that the reason their son was a werewolf was because they had defied Greyback. It gave the solemn couple a new dimension, this small fact about them.

Soon after the champagne had been brought out, James stood, giving his champagne flute a tap with the side of his fork. The conversations died down, and all attention was on him. The newly married couple, Harry in particular, were watching him with a wary eye.

"Hello, and welcome, everyone," James said courteously. "Most of you know Harry Potter. Maybe you know Hermione Granger-" he paused, then laughed at himself. "Sorry, Hermione. Hermione Potter- see, I start talking and already I make a mistake."

He got the laugh he was looking for, and moved on. "Harry is my cousin, but as you can see, he could be my son for the resemblance." He winked at Harry. "But I actually got to know Hermione first. I was making a very awkward attempt to once again, ask Lily on a date. And then Hermione comes in… and ruins my romantic evening. But I forgave her for that, since she has, in the time since then, become Lily's best friend. And one of the people dearest to my heart."

James took a breath, a wicked glint in his eye. "Although she had boys aplenty chasing her, Hermione turned them all down. Remus tried, Sirius tried, Will tried… but nobody could make her smile until Harry got here. And when Harry got here… well, we accepted him right away. He became one of the Marauders, nickname and everything. And he finally realized he was in love with Hermione."

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other, both relieved that it wasn't going to badly. "Stop-" James said excitedly. "Look at that! That is _exactly_ what their relationship is. Talking without words, sugary-sweet PDA, and The Spooky Breakfast Routine."

The both glared at him, and James gave an exaggerated swallow. "And that is all I am going to say, because Harry and Hermione are very fast with their wands and very talented as well. As the Best Man, I am only required to say that the bride is beautiful, and the groom is very fetching, and they fancied each other. I am not required to say something that will result in loss of life or-" he shot a glance at his mother. "My future children. Thank you all."

The clapping was polite, but disappointed, as the guests returned to their plates. It was a few more minutes before Lily stood with her own glass.

"Thank you, everyone," she said kindly, smiling happily. "Alright. So, I've known Hermione for less than a year, same as James, but she is one of my dearest friends. I have seen her do things no normal woman would be able to do with the force of her will. When she arrived at Hogwarts, she was understandably sad, but that didn't stop her from making friends, and I am grateful for that. But when Harry arrived, it was like her entire world had changed."

Lily grinned at Hermione. "It was adorable, the way they couldn't stand to be separated. I think one of the first nights Harry was here, they fell asleep on the couch in the Common Room together. And then before they told the school about their relationship, they had to put up with plenty of pressure from other people. I believe Hermione got so angry about some of Harry's admirers that she sprouted some lightening in her hair…" Lily laughed. "But they are together now, forever. I have no doubt that Harry and Hermione will be one of the happiest couples in the world. Harry, you'd best take good care of her. Hermione, be good to him."

The food was cleared away soon after, and the Potters used magic to rearrange the furniture in the room, setting several small tables in the back of the room with plenty of space for a dance floor near the front. The lights dimmed pleasantly, and soft music began to play.

"This is the first song from the Yule Ball," Hermione said in quiet amazement, turning glowing eyes on Harry. "The Champion's Waltz."

Harry held out a hand, which she accepted as he led her onto the dance floor. "It is indeed, love."

He bowed, and she curtseyed, starting the dance. "You've improved a lot since Fourth Year," Hermione said casually.

"Thanks," Harry said, a small furrow of concentration marring his brow as he twirled her across the floor. "Lily's been helping me."

"Why this song in particular?" Hermione asked, turning under his arm quickly before landing in his arms again.

Harry smirked at her, letting his hands drop an inch on her waist. "Because so much would have been different if I had asked you to the Yule Ball. Of all the places to end up, fifteen years before the Ball isn't so bad, is it? So technically, I'd already danced this song with you that night."

"Doesn't cut it," Hermione informed him pertly. "I wish you had asked me to the Yule Ball, too. But this is nice."

"Very nice," Harry agreed. "You look beautiful. The dress is pretty." He struggled for a moment, then laughed. "What can I say, Hermione? I can identify lace, and beads. And flowers. I like flowers."

Hermione giggled, kissing him quickly while she could. "I love you, you silly man," she said fondly. "I'm glad you like the lace, beads, and flowers. And you look _very_ nice in a tux. Snappish, maybe."

"Glad you like what you see, poppet," Harry crowed, sounding so cocky, but his eyes so staggeringly full of love that Hermione's breath caught.

She blushed, but recovered in time to tease him again. "All men look good in tuxes. It's a quirk of nature." She relented at his pout. "But you look exceptionally good, love."

The danced for the rest of the song, before the music ended and the clapping began. They held their positions for a moment, before James and Lily came up to them.

"It's the dance for the parents," Lily said. "Traditionally, at least. So James will dance with Hermione and I'm going to dance with you, Harry."

James grinned quickly, bowing to Hermione. "If I may have this dance, future daughter-in-law?"

"Yes you may," Hermione said, laughing. "Lily, you're brilliant. How many people here are going to get this?"

Lily shrugged, then kicked Harry with the point of her shoe. "Bow, Mister," she ordered. "Not many. But it's the real intention that counts and not the lie that we've been perpetuating, right?"

"Right," Harry said, bowing as ordered. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes," Lily said, nodding to the enchanted instruments. "They should start up again just about now." They did, and the two couples were off.

"So you're married now," James said offhandedly. "How does it feel, Hermione?" His quick smile was a mirror of Harry's.

Hermione let her blissful smile break out across her face. "Brilliant. Amazing. Like… the whole world has to recognize that Harry loves me and I love him."

They were quiet for a moment, moving across the floor in the graceful steps James had been practicing since he could walk. "I want to ask Lily to marry me," James said slowly. "I love her. At least as strongly as you and Harry love each other."

"Then ask her," Hermione responded. "But do it soon. I can't go to your wedding, but I can be here when she freaks out about it. I almost wish I could stay in 1978…" Hermione let her voice trail off into wistfulness. "I'll miss all of you so much."

"We'll miss you too," James said, voice full of feeling, eyes sad. "I'd name my first daughter Hermione if I didn't know that a little Hermione Granger might marry my son."

"Don't you dare push us together," Hermione warned, executing a perfect spin. "Or rather, you son and this dimension's me. Chances are, we've changed things so much that Harry will never be born."

"Then this world will be weeping for the loss," James responded. "But it seems to me that Harry is such a pivotal character in the history of the Wizarding World he can't just not happen. He might not be famous in this dimension, but he will be here."

Sirius was the next man who wanted to dance with Hermione, grey eyes merry. "Our little girl has grown up," he said with a mock-sniffle, as they floated across the floor. Sirius was an even better dancer than James, as he had a family who had cared more about such things.

"This little girl could beat your arse from the first day she showed up here," Hermione said mock-sharply, hiding her giggles.

Sirius ginned roguishly at her, tipping her suddenly. "Sirius!" she squealed. "I'm going to kill you one day, I swear I will!"

"Now, don't do that, me darlin' girl," Sirius crooned, raising her again. "Or old uncle Sirius will corrupt whatever James spawns into little Padfoots. And then they will take over Hogwarts and make your swotty future self miserable." He deftly maneuvered them between the other people joining the floor.

"You wouldn't," Hermione said with a gasp of horror that she ruined with her giggles. "Sirius, stop making me laugh. You're supposed to be saying things like, 'Hermione, don't you look gorgeous,' or 'Hermione, I wish you the best in your married life,' not 'I will train my godchildren to make a future Hermione Granger miserable.' Honestly, Sirius!"

"I can't do that!" Sirius exclaimed. "I think I should start tickling you now, Hermione. How would that look, the blushing bride collapsing into spasms of ticklishness on the dance floor with her husband's best friend?"

Hermione laughed harder, marveling at her continued movement across the floor. Harry looked to be similarly enjoying whatever Addie was saying to him. "Mental. You're mental."

Remus was next- he wasn't used to dancing, but he did an admirable job. They didn't bump into anyone, and they were laughing the entire time so Hermione was happy.

Will came up to them when the song ended, politely requesting the next dance. Hermione threw Remus a glance; the werewolf shrugged and nodded. Hermione accepted, and the two began the steps to a upbeat waltz, not dissimilar to the one she had just danced with Harry.

"Are you happy with him?" Carey asked abruptly, steering them with grace through the other dancers. "I know Harry's a good man, but I wanted to make sure you would be happy."

"I will be," Hermione answered. "Harry is my life. He's always been it for me."

Will shrugged. "So long as you're happy then. My mum and dad had an arranged marriage and it did them no good."

For the rest of the dance, Hermione questioned Will about the Pureblood customs of arranged marriages, especially in the last centuries. Their conversation ended when Harry approached the two, shaking Will's hand and taking Hermione's.

"Make her happy," Will said gruffly. "She deserves it."

Harry smiled down at Hermione. "She does," he replied. "I'll dedicate my life to it. I have, actually." They shared a laugh, then Will gladly passed Hermione on to her husband.

"What do you think?" Hermione asked as they moved in tiny circles among the other dancers on the floor. "About our reception."

"I think one wedding is enough for a lifetime and I don't see why we have to do it twice," Harry said frankly, shaking his head. "I'm not a huge fan of dancing in front of other people." _And I just want to get you alone…_

"You were fine when we danced together over the Christmas Break," Hermione said, raising her hand from his shoulder to caress his cheek quickly. "And nobody is watching us now."

"Do you think it would be rude for us to leave for our honeymoon early?" asked Harry hopefully. "We do need to Apparate a long ways."

They had decided on a quaint little Bed and Breakfast in the countryside, and had made their reservations over the phone with Mary, the owner. They would spend three days there, then go back to the Potter's.

Grinning, Hermione shook her head. "We do," she said, attempting to sound clueless. "I suppose we should leave now."

"I suppose we should," Harry agreed, dancing her over to the edge of the dance floor. "Shall we ask Lily to make our excuses?"

"No," Hermione said with a sigh. "That would be rude. We need to thank everyone for coming, then leave gracefully and in full view of everyone."

"Of course, love," Harry said, dancing them over to the edge of the dance floor.

A low Sonorous was cast, and Hermione cleared her throat and called for everyone's attention. "Alright. Thank you, everyone, for coming. However, Harry and I must leave now, for our honeymoon-" the applause made Hermione pause for a moment. "Thank you. So, we say goodnight, and again, thank you for being part of our wedding."

With a rustle of her skirts and wave, Hermione and Harry disappeared through the door, holding hands and feeling as naughty as teenagers slipping away from a party to be alone… well, they were teenagers, but they weren't exactly slipping away, so it was perfectly rationalized in Hermione's mind.

"Do you need to pack anything else?" Harry asked, feeling the excitement growing in his chest. "I just need to change and I'll be ready to go."

"No," Hermione answered, shaking her head. "My bag is already packed. I just need to get out of this dress and into something more… travel appropriate."

"Right," Harry said, pausing outside the door to the room they had been sharing. "My things are in James' room. I'll meet you here in fifteen minutes?"

He was loath to let go of her hand, but with one last kiss, they parted and Hermione went into the bedroom. He hurried to James' room, already unbuttoning his tux.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry was in a pair of dark pants and a dark green sweater, and a duffel slung over his shoulder. He was also waiting impatiently outside the door, uncomfortably aware of the fact that Hermione was changing on the other side. He remembered what she had looked like nude, with wreaths of mist curling around her body the night of the ritual…

"I'm ready to go," Hermione said breathlessly, stepping out of the door, slipping her wand into the holster at her wrist. "You?"

She looked up at him, and his chest clenched. "I love you," he told her again, dropping the duffel and hugging her to him, one hand between her shoulder blades and the other around her waist.

She let out a small squeak, but gripped him back. "I love you, too," she whispered. "So, so much, Harry."

They held each other for a moment, then Harry stepped back, looking down at her. "Sorry," he said, blushing slightly. "I- you look beautiful. You look just as good in this as you did in your wedding dress." She was wearing a simple white dress, serviceably thick straps, a nice V-neck, and tight until the hips where it spread out in a simple skirt that ended at her knees.

"Thanks," she said. "You don't look half bad yourself." He picked up both his bag and hers from the floor, except from the little beaded purse that she still carried.

They walked down stairs, still holding hands, and to the Apparition points where Addie and Sirius were waiting for them, talking in low tones.

"Hermione! Harry!" Addie exclaimed, coming forward to hug the petite girl again. "That was lovely. The entire ceremony. How does your hand feel?"

"Like nothing ever happened," Hermione answered, letting go of Harry to hug the Italian girl. "See you in three days, Adelynne. Sirius, watch out for her."

Sirius winked. "Of course, Hermione dearest. Harry, have fun. Don't- don't hurt her." He kissed Hermione's cheek, shared a manly hug with Harry, then stood back with Addie as the two Apparated away.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I liked this chapter. The little ritual was something I hoped was a perfectly quirky mixture of Muggle and Wizarding. Tell me if you liked it!**

**I'm not good at speeches, obviously. When I get to edit this chapter, hopefully I'll be older and wiser and have more ideas! OH- does anyone get the new image manager thing? I'm confused as to its purpose. Help. **

**And check out my new story. It's an original work, but I wanted to publish here. It's under fairy tales, but if you go to my author's page you should see it right away. I hope you read it, it's very short (1k+) and slightly dark. **

**Review! And then go see my new story! Next update should be PNNYM, but will prolly be Truth because I have the next chapter for that half done. **


	41. The Honeymoon

**Geez. That took almost a month to write. **

**I've just realized I almost never do disclaimers. The characters are JK Rowling's, I just plucked up Harry and Hermione and deposited them in a different dimension. **

**And for all of you who wanted a little juicy wedding night consummation, sorry. You're out of luck. I doubt virgins have much success writing sex scenes so… yeah. No. Sorry. But you get a bit of dithering!**

**I loved all your lovely reviews… although I was a bit frustrated with 1097. Honestly people, you live to torture me. I'm looking forward to trying out this new 'Review Moderator' so all you anon readers, please, please review. I want to see how this thing works! If you are one of my regular reviewers, who usually review anon, please leave your name. The new review function only shows 'guest' so I want to know my oldies and goodies! **

**Other things (Like all the questions about a sequel) will be answered in my other AN. Enjoy the honeymoon! (And don't kill me for the mini cliffie)**

* * *

Hermione stood back and watched from the cluster of chairs near the staircase as Harry paid for their rooms. This was it- the big moment. The consummation of their marriage.

Good God- she was married. To Harry Potter. She was Mrs. Harry Potter. Just saying the name gave her a little thrill- how many girls had written that on their notebooks? And she was the one who got him. He was hers, forever and always.

Her eyes were trained on him, as he chatted politely with Mary, the owner of the little Bed and Breakfast. A light blue button down shirt over khaki slacks made him look very respectable, as did the cautiously interested expression on his face as he listened to the middle-aged woman talk. Hermione knew him better than that, though- his fingers were tapping impatiently against his leg, unseen under the counter.

This was the man she had pledged the rest of her life. And… her body. She and Harry would become one, in every sense of the word.

She loved him, but even so, she was a little scared. She heard that it hurt- and she wasn't naïve enough to believe that their first time would be mind-blowingly good. They were both fumbling virgins, for heaven's sake. Or at least, she was. She knew Harry had never slept with another woman, but on previous dates he had seemed to know what he was doing well enough.

But she trusted him. He was her Harry, after all. Harry and Hermione, forever. She wanted him, wanted this. He would be gentle with her, and even if the first time wasn't perfect, there was still the second, third, fourth, fifth…

Finally, he finished his conversation with the chirrupy woman, turning to face Hermione with an easy smile on his face. Not for the first time, she allowed herself to really look at his body. Long legs, strong arms, broad shoulders… Harry Potter was hot. No questions- like James, Harry wore the mussed black hair and hereditary good looks well. But while James was all cocky confidence and mischievous wit, Harry had solemn green eyes, scars, and pure magical power leaking from every pore.

"We have the seventh room in the house," he informed her, voice low and tender. "It's on the third floor. Do you want to drop our things off there? Maybe go for a walk?"

She stood up from the comfy chintz chair, slipping her hand into his. "Sounds great," she said, giving him a shy smile.

He took their bags, holding them with his right so he wouldn't have to let go of her hand in his left. "Mistress Mary over there thinks we're way too young to be married," Harry said, wry humor in his tone. "But she was nice enough. Breakfast is from seven to ten, with the option of having it delivered to the room."

"Mmm," Hermione sighed. "Breakfast in bed… I like the sound of that. Did she say what there was to do in the town?"

Harry shrugged. "I didn't ask. If you want to do something special, we can Apparate to London. Or Paris. Or where ever you want to go."

When they reached the proper room, Harry set down the bags and rummaged in his pocket for the key. Hermione made as if to step in, but Harry put out an arm, blocking her.

"You aren't honestly going to-" she started, half hoping he would. It would be so Harry- romantic, slightly corny, and unbearably sweet all at the same time.

He interrupted her, kissing her cheek first. "Of course I am." He tossed their bags in the room, then picked her up and carried her bodily over the threshold. She was giggling, arms circling his neck tightly, legs thrown over one of his arms.

He set her down once they were inside the room, keeping his arms around her waist to kiss her deeply. "I love you," he whispered against her lips, forehead touching hers. "Gods above, I love you so much." She knew he was telling the truth. For one, she could hear the honesty and adoration in his voice. And two, she felt the same way.

She had wound her arms around his neck, and now she stroked the soft hair at the nape of his neck. "I love you. Now I can't imagine a life without you and me together." They kissed again, and he straightened.

Their eyes met, emerald to sable, and they held the gaze. Hermione broke it first, looking at Harry's chest instead of his eyes. "We were going for a walk?" she asked amusedly, shaking her head. "We are such newlyweds."

"In case you've forgotten," Harry said mildly, "We got married… three hours ago." Hermione smacked his arm lightly, and he laughed. "Sorry, love. I couldn't resist." She didn't mind- so she kissed him again.

Eventually, they left the room, locking the door securely and walking hand in hand past the check-in desk and out to the cool spring evening. It was quietly alive- the birds chirped softly, the sun was slowly falling in the sky, and a soft warm wind blew steadily.

The couple wandered the streets of the quiet little village, talking quietly as they meandered through the square. It was pleasantly peaceful for the two- life had been hectic with the wedding preparations. Adding to that, the night of separation before the wedding had not done either of them any good. It had been a while since they had just talked, and so now they did. Topics ranged from school, to friends, and finally to their situation.

"We don't have long," Hermione said with a sigh. "Tomorrow is April first. We have April, May, and then twenty-one days of June."

Harry squeezed her hand. "We'll make the best of it, love. We've changed so much… the Wizarding World might actually have a chance here." _A chance to make things right before it all goes to hell in a hand basket. How did we end up fighting a war that could have been stopped through simple action years in the past? _

"If we kill Voldemort," said Hermione, forehead wrinkling in a frown. "How on earth are we going to do that?" That was the one spot of dread on her horizon- the only thing marring her happiness. Tom Riddle, or rather, Voldemort, was growing stronger by the day and they had yet to stop him.

Harry stopped, taking her by the shoulders so she would face him. "It's our wedding day, Hermione. We don't need to form a plan right this minute." He relented, however, when he saw her bite her lip. "We get an invitation to another little gathering of Death Eaters, and ask for a private audience. Distract, then a killing curse or poison, or something. We can do it."

She stretched up on her tip-toes to kiss him sweetly. "I love you." She grabbed his hand again, and they continued walking.

"I wonder what time we are going to return to…" Hermione mused, swinging their hands back and fourth between them. "It was May when you left, right?"

"Yep," Harry said happily, glad that they had dropped subject of Tom Riddle. "And here it was the middle of December. Hopefully we'll get there and all the political upheaval will be already over and done with."

Hermione laughed, a tinkling sound that made Harry smile just to hear it. "I hope so too. I wonder how Ron is liking his new found fame."

"He's taking full advantage of it," Harry said confidently. "He's Ron. He's predictable. Most of the time, you can follow his thinking pretty well."

"True," Hermione conceded. "I wonder if they think we're dead." She was silent for a moment, then spoke, a warning tone to her voice. "Did you have a will, Harry?"

Harry looked at her, not as worried as she was. "Yes. I left everything to you. After what happened with Bellatrix-" he paused, stroking the top of her hand with his thumb. "I wrote a new will after Teddy Lupin was born and I was made godfather. Bill helped me write it, then he and Fleur were my witnesses and Griphook my goblin advisor. They were to wait one year after my death, and if I was really dead, all my money and assets would go to you, if you reappeared. If not, then they would go to Teddy Lupin. Ron would get my Firebolt and a property in Wales, and the Weasleys would get about five thousand Galleons."

Hermione had a cute little shocked expression on her face, so Harry kissed her in the middle of the street. "It's no big deal, Hermione."

"Five thousand Galleons?" she whispered. "Harry, that's equal to more than half a million pounds!" She was doing the calculations in her head. "How much of your inheritance is that?"

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Harry shrugged. "I dunno. Almost nothing. More than that was in my school vault, and the Potter family vault had at least twenty times that in it. And then the Black family vault. And all the properties."

Hermione shook her head. "I knew you were well off, but I didn't know I married a bloody millionaire." She shook her head again, and laughed. "Hopefully we get back before that year is up. Who is caring for Teddy while you're gone?"

"Andromeda," Harry answered promptly. "I hope. I don't want what happened to me to happen to my godson. I guess he's your godson now too, right?"

Hermione nodded. "He must be adorable. Did he get any of Tonks' skills?" In her mind's eye she was picturing a small boy with bright hair and Remus' smile. Or maybe a child with sandy hair and amber eyes with the enthusiasm and clumsiness of his mother.

The picture Remus had shown him had featured a baby with a shock of blue hair, that was slowly morphing to green. "Definitely," Harry confirmed. "If his hair in the photo Remus showed me is anything to go on."

"You wouldn't mind raising a boy who isn't your among your own children?" Harry asked cautiously. Her little hand in his larger one gave him a strange sense of comfort. He knew that even if she said yes, he couldn't love her any less and that scared at the same time it reassured him that marriage was the right decision.

Hermione looked up at him, completely floored. "Harry! Of course not!" Her wide eyes, framed by thick lashes, conveyed shock and a little hurt. "How could you think that?"

"I didn't," Harry hastened to assure her. "I just wanted to make sure. You know, if you still want kids." He tried to remember the last time they had talked about starting a family. He remembered that he had said he had wanted children, but he couldn't remember is she had said that she wanted babies. He _thought_ she did, but he wasn't sure.

Hermione was having the same realization. _Does Harry still want children? Or is he content with one godson?_ "I think we need to talk, Harry," she said quietly. "There's a coffee shop over there. Or we can go back to the bed and breakfast."

Harry only took a moment to consider. "The bed and breakfast," he answered. "I want to be able to hold you while we talk."

They turned around, walking slightly faster on the way back. It was a quiet trip, quite the opposite from the chatter filled way there. But when they were in sight of the B & B, Harry stopped, surprising his wife.

"We do need to discuss a few things," Harry said, eyes burning with a quiet intensity. "And even though we don't need to make any decisions tonight, know that no matter what the outcome is, it doesn't matter. I love _you_, Hermione. If you don't want children, then I'll be content with just you for the rest of my life. If you want twenty, then we need to get started right away. If you want to move to the Arctic Circle, then you'll just need to give me a week or so to get some really, really thick jackets."

Hermione had tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh, Harry," she murmured, letting go of his hand only to throw her arms around his neck. "I can't believe how selfless you are sometimes."

He clutched her as tightly as she was holding him. "I've accomplished my one goal in life," Harry whispered to her. "Under other circumstances, I would have lost all purpose. Now I have a new purpose. Making you happy for the rest of your life."

Their lips met gently, a kiss that slowly deepened into a dance of mouth and tongue. When Harry pulled away, Hermione trailed kisses down his neck as he straightened. "As long as I have you, I'll be happy," Hermione responded, slightly out of breath. "Let's get back to our room."

"Let's," Harry agreed, taking hold of her hand once more.

* * *

The bed in the cozy set of rooms was comfortable, fluffy without being overwhelming, and firm enough to provide a restful night. The bedspread was white and ruffled with a print of little blue flowers; the headboard and bedposts were made from some kind of dark wood. In all, it was very pleasant.

But for Hermione, the only reason the bed was holding her attention was because of the man (her husband!) lying on it, hands folded together behind his head. Harry looked comfortable, eyes closed, a peaceful half smile on his face. He was shirtless, wearing only his trousers, which revealed his scarred chest and arms.

His eyes opened when she approached the bed. "Come here," he said simply, removing one arm from its position behind his head. She climbed on to the bed, snuggling into his side gratefully. He smelled vaguely like soap, from his shower, and himself. She loved that smell.

Harry leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "So how many kids do you want, 'Mione?" The rumble of his speech in his chest made Hermione smile.

"At least one or two," she answered. "You?" She felt a short little stab of fear in her chest. How could she tell Harry she might be infertile?

Harry shrugged. "I've always thought at least two. Maybe three." His arms tightened around her. "What are you afraid of?"

She started. "What do you mean?" she asked cautiously. "I'm not-"

"You've been tense since we started talking about children, 'Mione," Harry said, a note of concern in his voice. "Now I'm holding you, and you aren't… I dunno. Usually, when I hold you like this, you're completely relaxed." He paused again, hesitating. "If you're worried about the- the sex, Hermione, we don't need to do anything tonight that you aren't ready for."

Hermione rolled on her side, as he did, so they could face each other. "I won't say I'm not nervous about- about tonight," Hermione said, smiling self-consciously, "But that's not why I'm worried. I- I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to have children."

Seeing the stricken look on Harry's face, Hermione looked away from his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry didn't tell you before," she said quickly, feeling her eyes burn. "I wasn't even sure and we were supposed to talk about this but we've been so busy lately, and we had to deal with the Horcruxes, and then I was going to tell you last night but Lily and Alice decided to be too damn traditional and-"

Suddenly, she was being crushed to his warm, muscled chest. "It's okay, Hermione. Just explain. Slowly. I'm not mad, I'm just a little- a little surprised."

She started crying anyway. "Bellatrix," she choked out. "The Cruciatus Curse attacks nerve endings, but it also causes severe muscle cramping. I haven't gotten my period once since we've been here-"

Harry blushed, then remonstrated himself. He was married to her now. He might not know much about the female body, but he was going to have to learn. Fast. "Couldn't that be from the whole 'frozen in the same state until we return to our proper dimension' thing?"

"It could be," Hermione admitted, considering it for a moment. "But I'm scared." _To hope. To find a plausible explanation that might be wrong and absolutely devastating._

Harry pulled her closer. "Don't be," Harry murmured. "There is one advantage to money and fame. I'll have the absolute best people working on it if it's determined that something is wrong. And there are hundreds of homeless kids in China who would love to be adopted by us."

"I'm sure we can find a child from a magical couple," Hermione mused, turning the problem over in her mind. "But that's a question for another day."

"Then what's the question for today?" Harry asked amused, nuzzling her neck. "Wife."

Hermione felt an involuntary shiver roll down her spine. "How much longer am I going to have to wait until you kiss me, Husband?"

* * *

"Good morning, beautiful," Harry whispered, kissing Hermione gently. He was gloriously, gloriously happy- his sleepiness fading slowly into wakefulness, curled around the love of his life, sharing her warmth and reveling in the smoothness of her naked body fitting perfectly into the curve of his.

She stirred with a yawn, eyes remaining resolutely shut in sleep. He kissed her cheeks, her forehead, her eyelids, and her lips again. "Do you want breakfast in bed, Hermione?" She was beautiful. He remembered how amazing she had been the night before, eyes glistening with love and slight pain as she gave herself to him. His love for her had grown, it seemed- they knew each other fully. He couldn't imagine loving another person the way he did his Hermione.

In the face of the sunlight filtering into the room and Harry's instant kisses and caresses, Hermione opened her eyes, yawning and stretching against him. "Morning," she said with an adorable little sleepy smile.

"How do you feel?" Harry asked, reverently brushing her hair back from her face. The only dent in his bliss was the slightly harsh reality of life- as wonderful as it had been for him, it had been less wonderful for Hermione. Not only was he occasionally clumsy, but it had hurt for her. There was blood. And although she was a witch and he was a wizard with all the standard applying, Hermione had refused a pain-reliving charm.

She smiled up at him, a fond smile that was full of love. He was lying on his side, propped up on his elbow, watching her. She rose into a half-way seated position to kiss him deeply. That was one of the advantages of Potions- no morning breath. "Wonderful," she breathed, pulling away.

"Not too sore?" Harry questioned, large hand caressing her belly. "Are you sure-"

"This is the only time in my life that I will feel the pain from being a virgin," Hermione interrupted. "It's…it makes it more real, and as strange as it sounds, I like it. And-" she cut off with a gasp. "Ow. Okay- maybe I'm more than a _little _ sore."

Harry kissed her in apology. "Sorry, love. If that hurts too much, then there is so much more we can do with our morning."

"Does that include a hot shower?" Hermione asked wryly, twisting her heavy hair into a knot. She smirked slightly as she noticed where, exactly, Harry's eyes turned.

He seemed to be considering it. "Will it be a mutual shower?"

* * *

"How are you going to do it, James?" asked Sirius, grey eyes calmer and happier than they usually were. One of the aristocrat's long arms was slung around the tall Italian girl at his side, where she was leaning into him.

James shrugged, mussing his hair with his continually roving fingers. "I dunno. I have three options: public and loud, private and special, or with a small group of close friends."

"Small group of close friends or private," Remus advised, looking up from a well-worn leather tome. "Lily's not the kind to go for loud and extravagant."

Sirius snorted, arm tightening around Addie. "No," he drawled sarcastically. "Are you completely sure about that, Moony?"

"Hit him over the head, Addie," Remus directed, brushing his sandy hair back from his eyes. "Hard." The girl giggled, complying to Sirius' dismay. "Thank you, love."

"Oi!" Sirius shouted, tossing a pillow at Remus. "That's _my_ girl you're talking to. Watch it!"

The fight would have gone on, but James chucked couch pillows at both of them. "Knock it, both of you. I need help here! Sirius' love life and Remus' lack of a love life can wait a minute!"

Peter sniggered unhelpfully. "Good one, James. Are you sure you want to ask Lily to marry you?"

They all stared at the chubby Gryffindor for a moment. Finally, Sirius spoke. "Have you been around James lately?"

"Or anytime in the last seven years?" asked Remus, just as incredulous.

Addie even cut in. "Or had a two minute discussion with Lily?" Her eyebrows were raised, and seemed in danger of disappearing into her hairline.

"Perhaps have observed them at mealtimes or during classes?" Sirius finished. "Because if you have, you would not be asking that question."

"It's like Harry and Hermione!" Remus cried, throwing his arms up in the air. "Meant for each other. If you believe in that past lives stuff, destined for each other."

Peter looked down sheepishly. "Well, she did hate him for six years," he said defensively. "Like, sighed and looked around for help whenever she saw him approaching 'hate him.' It's weird, that's all."

"Well, I'm not planning to do what Harry and Hermione did," James protested just as defensively. "I'll wait 'till we're out of school to get married. Maybe even until we're both eighteen, for the Muggle side of things." With a frustrated sigh, James pushed his glasses back up his long nose. The pesky wire-rimmed _things_ had a nasty habit of falling whenever he was trying to make a serious point.

Remus shrugged. "Good for you, mate. Long engagements are just fine. The only problem is making sure there is an engagement at all."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," James snapped good naturedly, shaking his head. "Addie. A women's input would be helpful."

Tossing her long hair back, Addie sat up straight, fixing James with a piercing gaze. "Well. Depends how you want to do it. I know enough about Pureblood customs that I can practically write the script if you want me to."

James started at her, aghast. "Merlin, no! Just- what kind of thing do you think Lily would like? I mean, she can be really serious and she doesn't really like all the goopy sappy romantic stuff, but she's a _girl_ they're all supposed to like goopy sappy romantic stuff. It's- it's- it's a conundrum!"

The group was silent for a moment, focusing on a rapidly reddening James. "I didn't know you knew a word as long as 'conundrum,' Prongs," Sirius said finally. "You've been spending too much time in the Library, mate."

"Be nice," Addie reprimanded him gently. "It's a stressful thing, trying to ask a girl to marry you. I'd bet it's almost as bad as waiting for a guy to propose."

The four men in the room gave her quizzical looks. "You should have seen Narcissa before Lucius popped the question," Addie explained. "She practically wore a hole in her bedroom floor from all the pacing."

"Great," James muttered. "Not only do I have to worry about asking, I have to worry about her worrying about me asking."

* * *

"Well, this is the first time I've seen you out of the room since last night!" the small women who owned the Bed and Breakfast. She had wispy brown hair in a mess around her face and neck, a cheerful round face, and a habit of poking her nose into things that were none of her business. Hermione felt her face flush, fighting to urge to turn and bury her embarrassment in Harry's side. Instead, she just tightened her grip on her husband's hand.

Harry had the funniest shocked expression on his face, so Hermione fielded this one. "We slept in," she said pointedly. "And breakfast in bed was lovely." The other guests at the dinner table exchanged looks, but didn't enter the conversation.

"Thank you," Mary replied happily. "Andrea, the cook, will be pleased you enjoyed it. Please, please, take a seat and tuck in."

The dinner was simple enough- a roast with sides of potatoes, green beans, carrots, and fresh-made rolls with the steam still rising. The other dinner guests looked nice enough, Hermione thought. A man in his mid-thirties or so was eagerly spooning potatoes from the dish to his plate introduced himself as Gary Knight. To his right was a redheaded tomboyish looking woman about the same age or younger who said to call her Alanna. A group of four travelers in the twenties were seated on the other side of the table, one boy with flower tattoos on his palms, a tall strong black girl, a chubby redhead, and a cute girl with a button nose. The four joked and laughed among each other, conversing in slightly accented English.

"I'm Sandry," the girl with the button nose said pleasantly. "This is my foster brother Briar, and my foster sisters Tris and Daja. We're traveling a bit before going back to school."

Hermione smiled at her gratefully. "Hermione. And Harry, my husband."

Briar smirked. "So when Mary said-" Tris promptly hit him upside the head. "Ow!"

"Don't you dare," Tris said. "Sorry. He has no proper filter. One day his mouth is going to get him into more trouble than it can talk itself out of, and then we'll all be in for it."

Alanna laughed out loud, nudging Gary with her elbow. "Tell me about it. This oaf here-"

Dinner went smoothly, all eight guests eating their fill. Conversation flowed steadily- the four foster siblings were entertaining and the friendly camaraderie between Gary and Alanna was comforting in its apparent longevity.

Finally, Gary looked hard at the two of them and sighed. "Alright- we've been kind of dancing around this all evening. I'm sorry if you think it's rude, but how old are the two of you?"

Hermione and Harry exchanged glances. "Eighteen," Harry said cautiously. "More or less."

"I might be nineteen," Hermione volunteered. "But I'm not exactly sure. Long story."

Briar chuckled low in his throat. "And how long have you been hitched?"

"Thirty hours?" Harry said, checking his watch. "Our wedding was yesterday. This is the first day of our honeymoon." He and Hermione shared another smile, one that from the outside looked sappy but to them was perfectly romantic.

Alanna frowned, having obviously kicked Gary under the table. "Why get married? You have your whole lives in front of you!"

Hermione resisted the urge to glare. "Harry and I have been through hell and back together, since we were eleven. He's the only person I trust."

"Same," Harry said with a nod. "For me, it's Hermione or no one. And Hermione is pretty damn great so I'm not upset."

Smiling brightly, Sandry put a hand on Hermione's arm. "Well, I think that's great. Isn't it amazing, Tris?"

The redhead just scowled. "Sure, Sandry. But-" she glanced at the couple. "Please take no offense. But can we please talk about something else? The weather, perhaps?"

"That was weird," Harry said, shaking his head as they climbed the stairs to their room.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it," she sighed. "If people dissect our decision like that every time we go out in public as a married couple, we should deny having ever heard of holy matrimony for the next five years or so."

Harry chuckled, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. "I think it's just this place. The land lady's influence, I swear. That comment she made when we came down for dinner-"

"Don't remind me," Hermione groaned. "Thanks for freezing up on that one, by the way."

They both laughed, and having reached their room, entered and kicked off their shoes. "Sorry, love," Harry said, kissing her quickly. "It took me by surprise."

Flopping on the bed, the pair relaxed for an hour, just talking and kissing. "It's great to be on a honeymoon," Harry reflected, pulling her even closer. "We need to have many of these."

"I'm pretty sure only the first one is called a honeymoon," Hermione said, voice filled with her own wry humor. "The rest are called 'vacations,' dearest."

Harry pouted, rolling on top of her. "You mock me, my darling." He leaned down, taking her lips with his own. "I'll have to get my revenge."

She smiled up at him, then jerked her head toward the window. "Fat luck, lover boy," she said, pushing him lightly to the side. "We have company." At the window, a tawny owl waited, tapping the glass with its beak.

"It's just a letter!" Harry protested. "We can ignore it." Hermione ignored him, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and rising to open the window for the bird.

It was a proud owl- an eagle owl, reminiscent of the bird who had delivered the mountains of sweets to Malfoy in their first year. "And leave the poor thing out in the cold?" Hermione pointed out playfully. "You are an awful man, Harry Potter."

"So says you, Mrs. Potter," Harry grumbled. "Who's it from?" His mind flashed through the most likely possibilities- James and Lily, any one of the Marauders, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall…

Hermione was staring at the letter with a strange expression on her face. Worried, Harry slipped off the bed, crossing the room to where she was reading the letter by the window. Instinctively, for her comfort or for his, he didn't now, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on hers, reading the note over her shoulder.

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Potter._

_Congratulations on your nuptials. Although there was some disapproval at your flaunting of traditional Pureblooded traditions, it was understood among those of us who know you that you had your reasons. Lucius and I request your attendance at a small fete, to break out of the mourning for my dear sister, Bellatrix. _

_We thought that a get-together of those sympathetic to our cause, under the guise of an engagment party, would be the perfect opportunity to see more of the Dark Lord's power and might. Rodolphus is to be betrothed to a very nice girl- Medea Rosenbell this week. The party would be in three days- hopefully you would be able to find the time to come visit us. The Dark Lord is very interested in speaking with Harry again. _

_In fact, the Dark Lord expressed a desire to see both you and Harry receive his mark! At the loss of dear Bellatrix, the Dark Lord wishes to draw his disciples closer together. We know that it was one of Dumbledore's people who lured her to the Leaky Cauldron- we just have yet to find out who. _

_I hope to see you soon,_

_Narcissa Malfoy _

"Well," Harry said haltingly. "That's not good." His arms tightened around Hermione, and he ducked his head down quickly to breathe her scent. She smelled a bit like him now- a change he found he liked.

Hermione laughed, a laugh drained of humor. "Understatement of the century, husband of mine. Voldemort wants to mark us."

She set the letter on the windowsill, drawing her wand to Summon owl treats from their bags for the hungry bird. "But we can use this to our advantage." She picked up the letter, scanning the words set on the fancy parchment in scented ink.

Harry led her to the bed, where they sat together, both re-reading the letter. "What are you proposing, exactly?" He had an idea, and a small pit of dread mixed with resignation was growing in his stomach. He would do whatever she wanted him to do. He was hers now, completely.

"We use the opportunity to kill Voldemort," Hermione said, turning her big brown eyes on him. "Once and for all."

* * *

**Perfect place to end this chapter, don't ya think? I'm laughing in the face of your glares. This is payback, my pretties. Review, please.**

**So… at least five of you asked for a sequel. I guess you can sense that this is almost over, huh? Well… I dunno if I want to do a sequel. It is getting so hard to update, and find time to write. Schedule right now? Babysitting (read: entertaining and chasing after) two kids and a baby, then going to the hospital and working in the Nursery (4 admissions at one time, some days) and then I come home and I have homework. So… please don't blame me for late updates. And I think I might just carry this through a chapter or two into their return. And I will add a bonus or two to show how things turned out in this dimension. Hope that answered your questions.**

**Thanks to Tamara Pierce for giving me characters that I did not need extensive thought to channel. I needed people, I looked to my right, and my bookcases provided the rest. I wanted the business people to be Numair and Daine instead of Gary and Alanna, but I resisted. **

**OH! And before I forget, please go read and review my oneshot, Fruit of the Fey. It's fun and creepy and a true piece of prose. I liked it, but no one else has. ):**

**Love to all, please review. I'm working on the Ministry scene for 1995. See you in a while!**


	42. Back to Real Life

**This chapter has a bit more humor than the last ones. I forgot how much fun it was to write the Marauders joking with each other and I thought I'd try my hand at it again!**

**I know this chapter is a bit shorter than normal, but it would have been too long otherwise. **

**This chapter contains: the end of the honeymoon, complete with a dash of Voldie. Enjoy!**

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was tense- far from the jovial mood of the day before, Harry and Hermione bore bruised sleep-circles under their eyes and worried frowns. Mary blithered on, oblivious, but the four foster-siblings definitely picked up on the tension and Alanna and Gary seemed uneasy.

Planning had taken up much of the night; as a result, the newlyweds were tired, a bit cranky, and in Hermione's case, still a bit sore. Thus, the Potters were not in a particularly good mood.

Harry noticed this- but he was dealing with it better than Hermione was. The post-coital bliss was still fading on his part, and he had killed Voldemort before. It was with this in mind that he planned their day.

Immediately after breakfast, Hermione was ready to start on their plan. It was typical Hermione- once she had a goal, she would go after it with single-minded determination until it was not only finished, but perfected and checked over twice.

So when the couple had walked back up the stairs to their room, and Hermione immediately reached for her pen and paper, Harry put his foot down.

"No," he said simply. "Let's leave it for a minute."

She looked at him, completely shocked. "But-"

He bent down and kissed her. Deeply, drawing her to him as he proceeded to snog her brains out. When he pulled away, she blinked at him a bit dazedly. "Let's take a bath together. And then maybe nap for a bit. And _after_ we are relaxed, we can figure out how to get rid of Voldemort. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, giving him a quick smile. "Actually, it does sound good. But you have to start the bath."

Harry ducked down to kiss her again. "My pleasure, Mrs. Potter," he murmured against her lips. "As long as I get to undress you, too."

One relaxing bath and refreshing nap later, Harry and Hermione sprawled across the white and blue flowered bedspread, facing each other. Hermione was smiling lazily, hair wound up in some kind of updo that Harry appreciated very much- the hickey's he had left on her smooth white throat were very visible when her hair was up and she had yet to notice and put it down. She was lying on her stomach, legs up in the air and crossed at her ankles as she tapped her lip with a quill.

"We obviously don't want to kill him with all his followers there," Hermione said, as if ticking off possibilities in her head. "We have to get him alone."

Harry chuckled grimly. "Oh, that'll be fun. 'Hey, Voldie. I need a word with you. In private. Care to oblige? You know, leaving the protection of the people who are fanatically dedicated to you for the company of a man you've met once?' That'll do it. He'll come with us for sure."

"You prat," Hermione laughed, hitting him with her notebook. "But that is an idea. The Dark Lord has got to be tired of Bellatrix's fawning and Narcissa's adoration by now." Yes, Bellatrix was dead, Hermione reasoned. But there had to be others like her out there. Or maybe not. Bella's special blend of sadism, insanity, and fanaticism certainly was unique.

Her husband immediately cottoned on. "Ah. I see- we can appeal to him if we are something different than the rest of his people. An intelligent asset as opposed to a drooling sycophant?"

"Right in one, husband o'mine," said Hermione, eyes glinting with a quirk of humor. "Although… there is the possibility that he isn't quite over the 'I want everyone in the world to worship me' phase. We might have to act the part of the drooling sycophants if that is what he would respond to."

Harry shifted on the bed, and groaned. "Great. We have to test the waters before we can jump in. This goes against every Gryffindor bone in my body." They laughed together, and he kissed her, cupping her face gently in one hand. Gods, he loved her.

Hermione responded lightly to the kiss, but she pulled away to write in her notebook. "Later, Harry," she reprimanded him. "We finish this, and then we can go at it like bunnies."

"Fine," he grumbled. "I'm holding you to that, Mione-love. I will do my best to be bunny-like." She laughed again, threatening him with her notebook.

"We need to figure out how we are actually going to kill him," she said, the last traces of her giggles disappearing from her face and voice. "We can't just lead him off to a secluded location and knife him between the ribs. He didn't become the most feared wizard in the world by being lax with his wand."

"I know," Harry said, fixing her with his emerald gaze. "I remember wondering why people were still afraid to say the name of a man they thought had been dead for ten years. Voldemort is dangerous- I'm not going to contest that."

She nodded quickly, breaking the eye contact. "If something happens to me-" she paused, a bit choked.

"Don't say that," he said in an low, intense voice. "Don't ever say that, Hermione."

Her head shot up again, angry chocolate eyes glaring at him. "If something happens to me, I want you to mourn," she told him firmly. "Mourn me. Cry, spend days in bed, whatever you have to do to get the grief out of your system. But then you need to get out of bed, shower, and go on with your life. Find a nice girl, settle down, raise a brood of children and name one of them after me."

"I wouldn't," said Harry, pulling her to him and spooning against her back as he breathed in her scent. "I mean, would you? If I died, would you marry Ron? Or Krum? Or Fred or George? Dean Thomas had a thing for you in Fifth Year- would you say yes if he asked you on a date?"

"No!" Hermione exclaimed, turning in her husband's arms to face him. "Harry-"

"Then don't ask the same of me," he said roughly, putting his forehead to hers. "I love you, Hermione. When I said that you were the love of my life, I meant it. After you- after all that we've been through together, after falling in love, after _making_ love like that- how could I ever have anyone else?"

Her eyes were welling up with tears, and he moved to kiss them away. "You've spoiled me for other women, Hermione Granger," he whispered, out of habit. "After loving you, how could I ever love anyone else?"

"But you need happiness," Hermione insisted, resting her head on his shoulder. "You need someone to love you and hit you over the head when you're being stupid and kiss you before bed every night."

Harry stroked her hair gently. "And as long as I have you, all those bases are covered. So whatever happens, you have to come out of this alright."

"Prat," she muttered against his shoulder. "You have to keep yourself safe too. Imagine a Hermione without her Harry?"

"No more than I can imagine a Harry without his Hermione," he reassured her. "Now. Let's use those lovely brains of yours to make a plan to kill that bastard. And then we can get the rabbit vibe on."

* * *

Harry and Hermione stood hand in hand as they bid their own private farewell to the little room that had been so special for the three days of their honeymoon.

"That was nice," Harry said fondly, rubbing his thumb over the smooth skin of his wife's hand. "We should come back here when we return to our proper place."

"We should," Hermione agreed. "It was a perfect honeymoon." _And a perfect husband. Life couldn't get better than these past days. _

Harry snorted. "If you don't count the message from Mrs. Blonde, Good-Looking, and Evil."

Laughing, Hermione smacked him lightly with her free hand. "Prat. Narcissa may be completely enthralled by the Dark Lord, but she's not totally evil. She saved you, remember? Twenty years in the future that hasn't happened yet?"

"Right," Harry said. "So you don't want me to badmouth Draco's mum. Should I compose odes to her golden beauty instead? Perhaps praise her decorating skills? A sonnet to her dungeons?"

Hermione laughed again, leaning against him instead of hitting him again. "You really are awful. No- go ahead and badmouth Mommy Ferret. I won't say another word."

"Well," said Harry, checking his battered old watch, "I would love to continue to insult Malfoy. However, we need to get back to the Potter's house. Lily mentioned that we have dinner with her mum and dad tonight. She wanted to introduce them to James."

The room was tidied up, courtesy of one of Hermione's better household spells. The bed was neatly made, the wooden floor swept clean, and the windows sparkling in the weak spring sunlight. Hermione sighed, and let go of her husband so he could get their bags. "What time do they expect us?"

"Five, I think," Harry responded, following her out the door. "It's just before noon now, so we can have lunch with the Marauders and then have some time to fill them in before leaving for dinner."

Mary waved at them from the Welcome desk, smiling cheerily as they said their goodbyes. "It was such a pleasure, dears," she assured them, giving Hermione a matronly pat on the cheek. "Fresh young faces are always a sight. Will you be coming back soon?"

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other and shrugged. "Probably not," Harry said regretfully. "Hermione and I are leaving the country for the next twenty years or so. But I'm definitely going to recommend this place to some friend of ours that are getting married in a few months."

A few more goodbyes were said, and the newly married young couple left the charming Bed and Breakfast for their Apparition point.

* * *

"They're back!" James shouted, the ancestral wards alerting him to the appearance of two people to his family home. It had been strange, after turning seventeen, to be able to access the Potter wards. But there were some perks too- such as being the first to know when anyone arrived.

Lily immediately set the book she had been reading aside. "Really?" When James nodded, the red-haired teenager stood quickly, hopping off James' bed to leave her boyfriend's room. "Addie!" she called down the hallway. "Harry and Hermione are back!"

Addie's head popped out of one door, followed by Remus' mop of shaggy, sandy hair, and Sirius' smooth black head of hair, as perfectly styled as ever. "Since when?" Addie asked with a small frown. "I didn't hear anything!"

"I know things," James said smugly, strutting out of his room and teasing his hair with his long fingers. "Divination finally paying off, you see. Stick with it, young witch, and you shall soon- Ow!" Rubbing his head, James turned to Lily with a pout firmly in place. "Was that really necessary, Lily-Flower?"

Smirking, Lily nodded. "Of course it was. If you're going to be a toe-rag, I'm going to have to beat it out of you."

"See how she abuses me?" James grumbled plaintively. "Padfoot- Moony. Friends, brothers, comrades. Protect me from this- Ow!" Addie giggled, and Remus and Sirius almost fell to the floor from laughter. "Everyone hates me!"

Sirius just shrugged. "I can't say anything, mate. This is Lily we're talking about." The haughty, aristocratic smirk gracing the Black heir's face belayed his true emotions.

James' mouth dropped open comically. "I'm the one letting you stay at my house!"

"Sorry," Sirius said, laughing. "But that's your parents, Prongs. And Lily here has already charmed them to pieces. They'd take her side over yours, by now."

Remus poked Sirius in the ribs. "Careful, Pads. That Slytherin side is showing."

"Oh no!" Sirius gasped, making a show of examining his entire body. "Where? I need some red and gold paint to cover it up!"

By this time, Lily and Addie were doubled over in laughter. "Hush, boys," Lily ordered. "Really. We need to go say hi to Harry and Hermione."

Eventually, after much prodding and poking, the Marauders were herded down the stairs and out the door, to where Hermione and Harry were walking in from the gate's Apparition point. Hand in hand, the newly bonded couple were taking their time, conversing in quiet tones.

"Hermione!" Lily called, waving one hand over her head excited. Her bright red hair made her an easy beacon, and Hermione raised a hand in return. The two groups met in the middle of the wide expanse of lawn that separated the Potter ancestral home from both the Apparition point and the front gate.

Lily had Hermione wrapped in a bone crushing hug as soon as the married girl was within arm's reach, a sentiment which Hermione gladly returned. "You are spilling _all_ later," whispered Lily into Hermione's ear, giving the witch a conspiratorial wink.

Next in line for a hug was Addie, and then James, Remus, and Sirius. Once greetings were exchanged, the now much larger congregation of teens started to walk back to the house.

As much as she wanted to pester both Harry and Hermione with questions, Lily stayed silent and allowed Sirius and Addie to flood the couple with their news. Now that Sirius hadn't already made it obvious by putting an extremely casual arm around Addie's shoulders somewhat possessively after Harry's hug.

"So… since when have you two been an item?" Harry asked, glancing at the lanky arm around his friend's shoulder.

The Marauders glanced at each other, and Hermione nudged Harry gently. "Anachronism, dear." Turning to face the larger group, she explained. "How long have they been seeing each other?"

Addie blushed slightly, but Sirius just flashed his cocky grin. "Weddings are a wonderful thing, Harry, my boy. Girls always-"

"Hush, Sirius," Adelynne ordered, giving him a quick smile to lessen the reprimand. "Sirius and I danced for a while, and we had a really good time. And then James and Lily disappeared, and James' house is so big-"

Lily rolled her eyes, a teasing smile lighting her face. "Sure, Addie. Blame it on James and me."

Shrugging, Addie returned the mischievous grin. "What can I say?" asked Addie, a decidedly dreamy tone to her voice. "Love was in the air."

A laugh was shared, but then Harry and Hermione turned serious. "You know that if you do anything to hurt her, we'll hurt you," Harry reminded Sirius carefully. "You're an adult, Sirius, and as mature as Addie is, she's still legally a child."

"I'm fifteen," the Italian girl insisted. "And I've-"

Hermione laid a hand on her arm. "I know, love. All Harry's trying to say is that you are fifteen, and Sirius is seventeen. We have no problem with that – in the Muggle world, that would be fine, really. But we worry about you, Addie."

"I'm not that bad," Sirius muttered, tightening his grip on Adelynne.

Harry glanced at Hermione, and she nodded once. "You and I are going to have a talk later, Sirius," Hermione said softly. "I'm happy for you, and I don't want to see you screw this up."

Remus defused the situation, pouting. "I need a girl," he grumbled. "Tell me, Harry, Hermione. Do I have someone in your future?"

"Um… yeah," Hermione admitted. "She's pretty great. But you're a major arse to her and then you try and leave her and then-"

Harry put a hand over her mouth playfully. "He doesn't need to know his life story, Mione," he said wryly, pecking her cheek before letting her go. "You work it out eventually, Remus," he said, thinking about his godson. "Your kid is pretty cute. You named me godfather."

"Oh," Remus said, blinking a few times before running a hand through his sandy hair. "And the werewolf thing?"

Hermione shrugged. "She doesn't really care."

Their conversation was interrupted by a small house elf appearing by James' feet, bowing once before announcing that lunch was ready for the young master and guests. With another bow, he popped away again.

"How many house elves do you have, James?" Hermione asked, trying hard to be casual. "Just the one or-" she stopped when Harry squeezed her hand in a warning. She gave him a slightly irritated look, and turned back to James expectantly.

The popular boy looked confused, but he answered after thinking about it for a moment. "That was Minky, who runs the kitchens. Darle and Karle help her out there, and take care of most of the cleaning. Carey was my nanny when I was little, but when I went to Hogwarts she left to our other estate to be the Head house elf there. I don't really know the other ones- I think we have eight in total."

"Do you pay them?" Hermione asked, voice slightly strained. "Or-"

James held up a hand. "Wait a minute, Hermione. What's the problem with having house elves?"

She opened her mouth again, but Harry spoke before she could. "Hermione started an organization called SPEW in-"

"S. P. E. W, Harry," Hermione corrected. "The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

Harry gave his wife a fondly exasperated look. "Sorry, love. S-P-E-W was formed in our fourth year. I'm the secretary. Anyway-"

"I gave up on S.P.E.W. years ago," said Hermione regretfully. "But I still hate seeing house elves mistreated- not that you would harm yours, James- and I'm still curious-"

Lily laughed. "I know how you feel, Hermione. I saw Alridge Nott kick one of the Hogwarts elves, and I got pretty upset about it."

"Upset?" Sirius repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You broke his nose, Lily. James wouldn't stop bragging about how 'his girl' was so 'feisty' for weeks."

Hermione smirked at Lily. "Good one."

"Thank you," Lily replied with a nod.

"I freed Dobby," said Harry plaintively. "What does that get me?"

Considering for a moment, Hermione stretched up and kissed Harry chastely. "Good job, love."

The group of Gryffindors had begun the walk back to the mansion, entering the beautiful house laughing and joking together. Delicious smells drifted from the direction of the kitchen and small dining room, so that was where the ravenous boys headed.

"Where's Peter?" asked Hermione after a moment, looking around. "Did he stay here while you went out to fetch us, or-"

James shook his head. "Nah. He had to go home for Easter. His mum's religious. Easter is a big deal at his house."

"Alright," Hermione shrugged, privately glad the rat-like boy wasn't there. "What's to eat?"

* * *

After lunch had been rapidly consumed, the teenagers gathered in one of the informal sitting rooms, similar to the room Harry and Hermione occupied at Hogwarts. Hermione loved it- the walls were a muted gold and the furniture was in shades of pale blue and green.

She had Harry were participating half-heartedly in the joking and teasing, minds more focused on the news they had yet to share with their friends.

Lily jumped up, crowing, having finally beat Remus at chess. Harry and Hermione looked at each other, communicating in the way they always did.

_We should tell them now._

_What about dinner with Lily's parents? We don't want to disturb her or James before that._

_They'd be mad if we didn't tell them now._

_You're right._

_Ready?_

_Yes._

Sirius noticed, a small furrow appearing between his eyes. "What's going on?"

Everyone looked at him, interrupting Lily's victory dance. "Sirius?" she asked, slightly put out. "I beat _Remus_ at chess. Come. Celebrate with me!"

"Not that, Lily," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "I mean the freaky not-talking-but-actually-talking thing Harry and Hermione always do. And just did."

Hermione blushed slightly. "How did you tell?"

"Because the two of you were looking at each other and making faces," Sirius replied. "And then you looked like you were going to say something." A joker and prankster the boy might be, but he was still smart.

The couple looked at each other and shrugged in unison. "Actually… yeah, we have something to tell you," said Harry a bit sheepishly.

"You might want to sit down," Hermione suggested, moving closer to Harry. "This is big news."

Remus looked down at Hermione, horrified. "You're not pregnant, Hermione, are you-" The wide-eyed terror in the werewolf's eyes was hilarious; Hermione had a hard time holding back her laugh.

"No, Remus," she said, grinning slightly. "I'm not having a baby right yet. This is news on a slightly grander scale. Like… affecting all of Wizarding Britain."

Harry squeezed his wife's hand. "We should do it fast, love," he said decisively. "Like ripping of a Band-Aid." He squared his shoulders, and announced, "We're going to kill Voldemort the day after tomorrow."

"I must not have heard you right," said James, a shade or two paler than he normally was. "I thought heard you say that you are going to _kill_ He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named tomorrow. As in, the Dark Lord who has been terrorizing Wizarding Britain as a whole, and who is supposed to kill us in a couple years leaving you orphaned so you can save the world, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Sirius was staring at them, looping one arm around Addie unconsciously to bring her closer to him. "Funny, Prongs. I heard the same thing. Moony?"

"My theory is either Lily hit us over the head one too many times, or the house elves put something in the food to induce mass hallucinations," Remus said, closing his eyes and massaging his temples.

A semi-amused, "Prat!" was sent in Remus' direction by Lily. The red-haired beauty nodded toward Harry and Hermione. "I believe you."

"What?" James said. "They're talking about the scariest snaky bastard since-"

Lily shook her head slowly. "James. We just made him mortal. Now is the best time to kill him! I'd like to raise my own children, thank you very much. As nice as a grave sounds, I think I can do without for the next century."

An amused chuckle came from Harry's direction. "Lily's right. Now is the best time to kill Voldemort. He doesn't know that his Horcurxes have been compromised, or that Hermione and I are anything less than pureblood elitists thanks to Severus."

"Narcissa Black sent us an invitation to a small party for the day after tomorrow," Hermione added. "I doubt we'll have such a good chance ever again."

The Marauders had a variety of reactions; Sirius sighed and fiddled with Addie's long black hair, James leaned back and sent Harry a 'I trust you' glance, and Remus brushed his lengthening sandy hair out of his face, trying to hide his worried expression.

"Are the two of you going to be safe?" the werewolf asked bluntly. "We haven't been with you for the really risky stuff- but-" he stopped, and tried again. "This is the time when you're supposed to concentrate on school, take your N.E.W.T.'s, find a job, and start a family. Not when you try and kill an evil Dark Wizard."

Hermione leaned into Harry, taking comfort from his solid frame. "I would like nothing better than to concentrate on taking my N.E.W.T.'s," the woman said frankly. "But we just can't ignore a problem as big as Voldemort when we have the means to solve the problem."

"Alright then," James announced, sitting up and grinning sharply. "What do we need to plan?" He rubbed his hands together, eerily reminiscent of one of the Weasley Twins when they were ready to get down to pranking work. McGonagall had been right- but if Fred and George had been given the opportunity to learn from the Marauders when all of them were still alive, then they would have been unstoppable.

"Nothing," Lily replied, checking her watch. "We need to get ready for dinner with my parents."

* * *

The self-titled Lord Voldemort reclined on his large, throne-like chair on the raised dais. From the height he could see over the long hall, dark stone with brackets for light. His followers were assembled there, clad in their black robes. Most wore their masks, all except those in his Inner Circle.

"Lucius," the Dark Lord hissed. "And Narcissa. Have you gotten word back from our two Gryffindors?"

Two unmasked individuals glided forward, bowing their golden heads and sinking to one knee when they reached the dais.

"Rise," he commanded, flicking a hand at the them.

The Malfoys straightened, and Narcissa raised her head to look him in the face. "Yes, my lord," she proclaimed triumphantly. "The Potters sent their reply yesterday evening."

"They said that they would be grateful to be Marked, my lord," Lucius added. "Hermione Potter is still experiencing fragile health, so they requested some information on the Marking Processes, and how it might affect her. That, and the permission to avenge the girl's parents, is all they ask."

Lord Voldemort smiled sickeningly. "Good. Tell them that I will hold off on Marking the wife- I have no desire to have more females than necessary within my ranks."

"Yes, my lord," the Malfoys murmured, sinking back into the crowd.

Next, the Dark Lord twitched a finger at a sullen, pockmarked Death Eater. "Rookwood. Come here."

The Death Eater obeyed the command, kneeling before the throne in a matter of moments. "Yes, my lord."

"Have you made any progress on the whereabouts or welfare of my dear Bella?" he asked in a deceptively calm and silky voice. "Any at all?"

Rookwood looked up, fear evident in his face. "N-no, my lord. There has been no sign of her. The trail ends at the Three Broomsticks."

"We established that weeks ago," said Lord Voldemort, anger beginning to show in his voice. Rookwood cowered before his master, his fear evident to all in the great hall. Nagini twined around the throne-chair, hissing as she started to rise, eyes focused on the terrified man in front of her. "Is there nothing else to report, Rookwood?"

He let out a whimper of terror. "Nothing, my lord! She went to Gringotts, then the Three Broomsticks, and that was all-"

"Crucio," whispered the Dark Lord, holding his wand on the writhing man on the floor. His smile grew as the man's twitching grew worse, finally releasing the curse when the man released his bladder. "I was merciful this time, Rookwood," Lord Voldemort hissed angrily. "Next time I will not be so lenient."

"Avery! What news have you on the…"

* * *

"You look lovely," whispered Harry, holding his wife's hips lightly from behind as he whispered in her ear. "Absolutely delicious." He pressed a kiss to the sensitive skin behind her ear, smirking as she shuddered slightly against him.

When she opened her eyes, the heat in them made him suck in his breath. Their reflection in the mirror was arousing, his possessive grip on his witch and the _look_ she was giving him. "Beautiful," he whispered.

Hermione turned in his arms, reaching up on tip-toe to kiss him deeply. "I love you," she said in a low voice, looking him in the eye. Her face was resolute, and still full of love.

He couldn't resist kissing her again, tangling one hand in her hair as the other pulled her closer to him. She moaned softly against his lips, pulling his head down to hers.

All was going fine (better than fine, actually- bloody fantastic) when Lily barged into the room, only the blush, sigh, and clear her throat.

"Earth to the Potters," she said loudly as they broke their kiss. "Thanks. Are you ready to go?"

Hermione looped her arms around her husband's waist. "Uh… yeah. Just give me a minute to fix my hair." Harry pressed one last kiss to the top of her head before following Lily out of the room.

They walked side by side in awkward silence, until Lily bumped into him purposefully. "No jumping your wife's bones in front of my parents," she instructed in a stern voice.

"Right," Harry said, blushing a bit. "That would be a bit weird, to make out in front of my parents and my grandparents. And maybe even my aunt."

"Tunie's not coming," Lily corrected, shaking her head. "Maybe you guys should have had a longer honeymoon."

He agreed. He wanted nothing more than to escape to some deserted island with Hermione and spend days and weeks and maybe even months, just the two of them…. "Yeah."

James was waiting for them around the corner, fiddling with his shirt and pants. "I don't like Muggle clothes," he grumbled. "Too many buttons."

"Be quiet, love," Lily admonished him. "Hermione's still getting ready," she said with a smirk. "We should be ready to go in a few minutes."

True to her word, Hermione appeared shortly, hair carefully beaten into order. "Ready," she said, slightly breathless. "Let's go!"

* * *

**As always, drop me a review to let me know what you think. I treasure every one of them! Congrats to everyone who got the Tamara Pierce allusions in the last chapter- I love my readers!**

**One quick thing- for the first four books, Hermione's middle name is Jane. Then in the last ones, J K Rowling changed it to Jean so she wouldn't share a name with Umbridge. I prefer Jane, so that is the one I use. **

**Go check out my new oneshot! Very sad if only Harry/Hermione. And on August 27, I'll be publishing a new oneshot as a present for my cousin. She likes Hermione/Draco so if you like that sort of thing, check back on my profile in a few days. (4) **

**Sorry this was a long time in coming- I've been busy! Next chapter might be a while. Expect a bit of fluff. And then some Volde-killing. I was glad to see so many of you liked my cliffie!**

**News: School is staring up again, so I'll be very busy. And I just got my Learner's Permit so I'm learning how to drive. This terrifies me. And takes up plenty of my time. Next chapter might be a while- but I will not give up!**

***** Is something horribly wrong with this chapter? 5,000+ people have read this so far, and less than 10 have reviewed. What is going on? I know most of you don't review, but this is really an all time low. *****


	43. The Day Before

**I'm sorry that took an abysmally long time to write. But- one chapter for September! Whoop!**

**And we are almost at the end. I might be able to drag the Voldie confrontation out into two chapters with an awful cliffy (because I know how much you like those) and then we just have to wait… I think a maximum of five more chapters. :)**

**Enjoy this one. Originally, the part with James was going to be a bonus chapter, but I stuck it in here so I could publish today. Not to many reviews for the last chapter, but thanks to everyone who did review. I love you all.**

* * *

Hermione yawned, leaning into Harry as they walked up the path to the manor. He let go of her hand, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close- the night was so calm, so pleasantly peaceful, it seemed like a crime to not be holding Hermione in some way. Fireflies were blinking in random patterns across the lawn, the moon and stars provided a soft, glowing light, and the warm spring air was cooled by a gentle breeze. Lily and James were walking a few meters ahead of them, hand in hand as they talked quietly. James' head of unruly black hair was bent toward Lily's fiery red, and they looked happy.

"Tired, love?" Harry asked, a trace of amusement in his voice. "Already?"

She yawned again, snaking an arm around his waist. "Be quiet, Harry Potter. We just had a nice warm meal with nice warm people and nice warm conversation. I'm happy. Let me be tired."

He laughed, a low chuckle that made her smile. Harry didn't laugh enough- every time he did, he sounded a tad shy. But it was him and to her, he was perfect. It was just something she loved about him. "If you say. I thought you were going to talk to Sirius today?"

"I can do that tomorrow," replied Hermione. "Right now, all I want to do is shower and go to bed."

Harry pouted playfully, making Hermione giggle when she looked up at him. "Really, love? Is that _all_ you want to do?"

"Pervert," she retaliated, sticking out her tongue. "I love you."

He bent down and kissed her quickly, grinning widely. He looked like he was the luckiest man in the world- and Harry felt he was. "I love you, too."

"Do you think we'll ever be like them, James?" Lily asked, a wistful sigh in her voice. They had glanced back when they heard Hermione's high, infectious giggle, just to see Harry and Hermione snogging like teenagers instead of an old married couple. Well, they were teenagers, but it was beside the point the way they acted most of the time, and no, they hadn't been married for long but that was also beside the point.

James squeezed her hand, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Yeah. I think we will be like that. I mean, Harry and Hermione are special because of their circumstances, but… yeah. I think we will be like them."

The red-headed girl fiddled with her skirt, looking at her boyfriend from the corner of her eye. "It is obvious to anyone who looks at them that Harry will love Hermione no matter what. Can you promise me that you will love me no matter what I do?"

"Of course!" James exclaimed, eyebrows flying up into his fringe. "Lils, I've loved you since we were eleven. It just took some time for me to figure it out. And then it took more time for me to get you to figure it out. And then it took time for us to get over ourselves and get together. You kicked me in the soft and tenders twice and I still love you. I'd say that unless you do something like murder my parents, I'll love you forever. And I think I'd love you even if you did murder my parents. I would be upset because they were dead and even more upset because you were the one who did it, but-"

"Stop," Lily ordered, pressing two fingers to James' lips. "I'm not planning on killing your parents. I think they're lovely. I just wanted to know that you love me."

"Of course I love you," James answered, kissing her fingers tenderly. "My lovely lady Lily. C'mon. I think Harry and Hermione are going to be a while."

* * *

The next morning, Hermione stood in her underwear, hands on her hips, in front of the closet. Harry was staring at her sleepily, green eyes blinking slowly from behind his glasses.

"What's the matter?" he asked groggily, propping his head up on his hand and regarding her through bleary eyes.

Hermione huffed, and tried to smooth down her bushy curls. "Narcissa owled. She wants me to come over and help her with the decorations. And she wants to talk. So I need to dress nice. And I don't know what to wear."

"Oh," Harry said, sitting up and stretching. "Should I get dressed too?"

"No," she decided, pulling out a deep green set of dress robes from the closet before putting them back. "It's supposed to be a girl's day."

Rolling over and getting out of bed, Harry padded over to the closet anyway and grabbed a pair of slacks and a red Quidditch tee-shirt anyway, pressing a kiss to Hermione's bare shoulder on his way. "Okay. Should I get Lily? Or Mrs. Potter?"

Hermione turned away from her closet to smirk at him. "_I'm_ Mrs. Potter," she reminded him. "It's okay. I think I know what I'm going to wear."

"Cheeky minx," Harry murmured as he pulled her into a hug. "It seems so strange sometimes to know that we're married. Mrs. Potter."

Hermione laughed low in her throat before turning and kissing his jaw. "Go take a shower and shave," she instructed, stepping out of his embrace reluctantly. She finally pulled out a set of dress robes in a pale yellow, laying them on the bed before picking up her wand and charming them a dark slate grey.

"It's not mourning, but it shows that I regret the disappearance of her sister," Hermione explained at Harry's raised eyebrow. "And it'll make me look paler. Plus I'm going to do a few charms to maintain the illusion of 'poor, sick Hermione,' and this has a neckline that I can use to empathize my collarbones."

Harry blinked twice, then yawned. "If you say so, love," he said. "I think I do need that shower. What time is it?"

"About eight," Hermione replied, voice muffled from the dress she was slipping over her head. "Thanks for reminding me. I need to put some dark circles under my eyes. And still look somewhat pretty. Merlin and Morgana this is difficult."

When Harry reemerged from the bathroom, she was standing in front of the mirror with her wand pointing at her face as she muttered the incantations under her breath. Leaning against the wall, he watched as her skin slowly sunk into her face, losing the slight tan she had gotten sitting outside on their honeymoon. She stopped once she was unhealthily pale and sunken- then she smiled and her face looked like it would crack.

"What do you think?" she asked, turning her head critically. "I did the dark circles, the paleness, the bones, and made my hair darker so it would contrast more. Anything else?"

Harry shook his head, still a little astounded by the figure before him. "I had gotten used to seeing you healthy," he said regretfully. "Don't forget to move gingerly. Your side is wounded."

The room was bright and open with the early morning sunlight- it served to make Hermione look worse. "I won't forget," she promised, moving to his side. "I should eat a big breakfast- I'm going to have to pick at my food all day.

Sirius had the same reaction Harry did- he had looked mildly disturbed and remarked on her current health. Lily shuddered and patted Hermione's hand, watching her plate with the same old hawk eyes that she had used before Christmas. James and Remus frowned, looking mopey and depressed until Hermione snapped at them.

"It's a Glamour, you berks," she snapped, glaring at them over her eggs and toast. "I'd remove it just to show all of you, but it took me half an hour."

James chuckled half-heartedly, and Sirius gave her a weak grin. "Sorry, love," he told her apologetically. "It's strange to see you like this again."

"Like what?" asked a sleepy Adelynne, walking into the kitchen still in her pajamas. "Why'd you guys let me sleep so long?"

Sirius leapt up, grin broadening into a full-blown beam at Addie's presence. "I didn't want anyone to disturb you, love. It's only a few minutes after nine."

Hermione almost choked. "Damn. I needed to be there by nine. Um- Hi, Addie, bye Addie. Love you, Harry." She pecked Harry's cheek, then marched straight for the Floo, grabbing a handful of sparkling green powder to throw into the flames.

Harry grabbed her arm as she moved to step into the green fire. "Be careful, Mione," he told her seriously, eyes solemn under his glasses.

"I will be," Hermione said quietly, eyes softening as she smiled at him. "I'll be back around five, I think." She stepped into the flames, calling out, "Malfoy Manor!" as she was swept away.

"Where is she going?" Addie asked suddenly, still blinking away the sleep from her eyes. "Hermione?" She paused in spooning her potatoes onto her breakfast plate. The porcelain patter made a loud clanking noise as she set it down harder than she was supposed to.

Harry ran a hand through his already messy hair, and sat down with a thump. "The Malfoy's," he muttered, half under his breath. "She has to help Narcissa with something."

Addie paled considerably, her hands falling to her lap. "Oh," she said, voice sounding low and scared. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Lily said, moving to Adelynne's side, and pouring a cup of tea for her. "Of course she is. She's just going to set up for tomorrow. And then-" Lily paused, turning her head a fraction to smile at James. "Tomorrow, it will all be over. No more pain and suffering. Voldemort will be dead."

* * *

Hermione stepped out of the fireplace in Malfoy Manor to find Lucius waiting to offer her a hand down. He looked the same as he had the last time she was at the Manor- just much less violent.

"Mrs. Hermione Potter," Lucius said politely, warmly. She took the offered hand with a gracious smile, gathering her skirts in her other hand as she stepped down.

"Lord Malfoy," she replied, letting her skirts drop and taking his arm. "Is Narcissa here?"

Lucius nodded, cane tapping as they walked through the large halls. "Yes, my wife is in the ballroom. She and Anna Derange are working on the décor for tomorrow's festivities."

"Delightful," Hermione drawled, reaching into one of her robe pockets for her handkerchief. She coughed weakly into the white fabric, noting Malfoy's downwards glance. She knew he caught the blood staining the lace when his face tightened almost imperceptibly. "My apologies," she said quietly. "It's getting worse."

There was pity in his gaze, and she hated him for it. "There is no problem, Hermione Potter," Lucius said silkily. "Just know that the Dark Lord is doing all he can to search for a cure."

They entered the ballroom then- Narcissa and another woman Hermione did not know- presumably Anna- had their heads bent over a centerpiece, arguing in a low voice. A bored looking man was leaning against the wall next to them, flicking his wand at flowers every few seconds.

"No, Christophe," the dark-haired woman snapped in a slightly accented voice. "Darker."

Narcissa shook her head once sharply. "Anna! That's too depressing. What about a nice sky blue?"

"He's the Dark Lord!" Anna exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. "It is his celebration. The darker the better." The other witch was tall, slim, and fierce looking. She had wavy gold-brown hair to her shoulders, a strong nose, and a kind of presence that made you look twice.

Hermione fought to keep her face steady as her heart sunk. This day was going to be awful. Debating over centerpieces when she could be home with Harry? This day was getting worse by the minute- and the corset of the dress was digging into her ribs.

"Hermione!" Narcissa called, beaming beatifically at the younger girl. "Such a pleasure to see you, my dear. How are you feeling?"

Anna looked up from the flowers, pretty, dark eyes narrowing when she saw Hermione. "She looks like she's about to kneel over any minute. This is the girl you said was powerful enough to take on two fully grown wizards with one arm behind her back?"

"You've been exaggerating, Narcissa," drawled Hermione, accepting Narcissa's air kisses. "To do that I'd need a fresh set of lungs."

The blonde woman shrugged. "Sometimes, Hermione, I can feel the power radiating off you. Same with your husband."

"She has a husband?" countered Anna, nose lifting into the air. "She hardly looks old enough to take her O.W.L's."

"Stop being so hostile, Anna," Narcissa warned, a sudden warning tone in her voice. "Yes. I've told you already- this is Hermione Potter. Harry Potter- her husband- is getting marked tomorrow, at the same time as you and Christophe. Play nice." Narcissa took Hermione's hands in her own, making a tutting noise. "Hermione, dear, this is Anna Derange. She was a year below me at Hogwarts. Slytherin. And this is Christophe Derange, her brother. He's one of the best wand makers in the Ukraine."

Hermione nodded once the Anna, then allowed Christophe to brush his lips across the back of her knuckles. "A pleasure, Mrs. Potter," the man said. His eyes were the same dark brown as his sisters, but his darker skin contrasted sharply with the woman's paleness. His accent was stronger as well- but he seemed polite enough so Hermione smiled weakly at him.

"Of course, Mr. Derange," she said, "And might I ask where you are from? Narcissa said the Ukraine, but… your accent does not speak of any of the Slavic languages."

His eyes flashed, and he chuckled. "My mother was a Mexican wandsmith," he said. "She married Uri Derange, whose mother was from the Ukraine and whose father was French. Once she died, Papi dearest married Angelika Burke, whose daughter became a thorn in my side from the moment she could talk."

"Give her our life story, why don't you," Anna snapped, frowning at her brother. "I thought you were here to help, not chat."

Hermione sat down as gracefully as she could manage, leaning back to regard the centerpiece that was apparently the matter of much contention. "Purple would be better than blue," she said finally. "But if you really want blue, then a periwinkle will do. Purple is royalty, and can be dark while still looking pretty."

"Perfect!" Narcissa said, a small, satisfied smile gracing her face. "Really, Hermione, you're a lifesaver. Now the next thing we have to do is…"

* * *

"Lily?" Harry called out, poking his head into James' room. "Are you ready for your part next?"

The redheaded woman looked up from her book, marking her page before setting the tome down and standing. "Yep," she said, ignoring James' pout.

"I don't like this," James said, sliding off the bed to stand beside Lily. "Really. Do we have to use her voice?"

Lily sighed and kissed his cheek. "How many male soothsayers have you heard of, James?" she asked, smiling wryly. "And this is cool. I get to help take down Voldie. Let me do my part."

"We probably won't even need to use the fake prophecy," Harry added, face serious. "We just need to lure him outside the protection of his loyal followers. A prophecy predicting his downfall is a pretty sure way of gaining his trust. On the off chance he does listen to it in front of the other Death Eaters, I'm going to distort her voice. No one will be able to tell it's Lily."

Sighing, James ran a hand through his messy hair, wincing when Lily slapped it. "I guess I have no choice then. Good luck, Lils."

Lily and Harry went to a seldom used room in the large house, one that Harry and Hermione had charmed almost soundproof. In the room were two chairs, and a small pedestal on which rested an opaque blue glass ball. Harry took one chair, and Lily the other.

"This is going to feel strange," Harry told her. "First, we are going to change your voice. And then we are going to do a spell to make your voice go into that little ball."

Lily grinned, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. "Alright. Let's do this." She held her wand against her throat, muttering under her breath. "Okay," she said finally. "How's this?"

Her voice was about half an octave lower, and raspy. She sounded vaguely like Sybil Trelawney- exactly what Harry was hoping to achieve. "Perfect," Harry told her, reaching over to tap the ball with his wand. "Do you have the false prophecy?"

She held up her script, and Harry checked it over one more time. "Any suggestions?" he asked, the furrow between his brow creasing deeper. "I wish Hermione was here."

"No," Lily said. "It looks good. And I wish she was here too. But we can do this. Are you ready?" She wrinkled her nose, and touched her throat gingerly. "Geez. I sound weird like this."

"Don't forget to put on the pendant," Harry instructed, handing her one of the Glamour illusions they had worked on previously. This one was of the little old lady, graying hair and wrinkles galore.

Harry cracked a small grin. "Ready. Three. Two. One." He tapped the ball, nodded at her when it began to glow. He pointed at her like a cheesy director, and she smirked before starting.

"The One with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… Born as the seventh month dies, born to those who have thrice defied him… The Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, giving him a power he knows not. But this will not come to happen if the Dark Lords should root out the eyes within his ranks….the ears that belong to the Phoenix alone…. For when the Dark Lord stands alone and victorious with only the two loyal at his side the world will be his alone… The One with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…"

Harry waited a few seconds more, then tapped the glowing sphere, the light dying down until it became a dusty glass ball once again. He then picked it up and tapped it again.

A few moments of static played, and then Lily's eerily distorted voice began to speak, a small, hazy image appeared from the ball, like a memory from a Penseive. The false prophecy played, then faded back into the ball.

"Perfect," Harry said, relaxing fractionally. "One less thing to worry about. It worked."

The little woman in front of him shimmered as Lily lifted the pedant and returned to her seventeen-year-old state, young and pretty with red hair. "I'm glad I could do something," Lily said, voice still low. She grimaced and tapped her throat, removing the charm. "Ah. There we go."

"Now all that's left to do is figure out how to get Voldemort's attention before he marks me," grumbled Harry. "I don't fancy returning to my timeline with a bloody Dark Mark on my arm."

* * *

"Oi! Sirius! Remus! Get your arses in here!" James shouted down the corridor. "I need your help."

Remus appeared a few moments later, looking very grumpy. He had the book he had probably been reading when James had called tucked under his arm, and a small frown on his face. "Something that need us now, Prongs?"

"Yes," James said, rolling his eyes. "Get Padfoot, would you?"

A few minutes later, the Marauders (minus Harry and Peter) were assembled in James' room. He explained what he was going to do- ignoring Padfoot's laughter and Moony's sigh and return to his book.

He was ready. This one would be the one.

"Lily. We've known each other for years- in fact, I remember the first time we met. I saw you, and I told Sirius, 'I'm going to marry that girl.' And then-"

"No. Just- no. James! The next thing you did was pull her hair and steal her hat. She can't be thinking about how she shouted, 'I hate you, you nasty toerag!' right before you propose!" Sirius exclaimed, jumping up and waving his arms around for emphasis. "No."

From his sprawled-out position on James' bed, Remus nodded in agreement. "She threw a book at you."

James sighed, scrapping that proposal. "Fine. How about this." He cleared his throat, and tried again. "Lily, I've been in love with you for years. It just took us a bit of time to realize it. When you were a cute little girl and I was a scrawny stick of a boy, I loved you. When you were growing up, awkward and totally-"

"Fail. Nope." Sirius was shaking his head, although he was sitting this time. "You can't call her awkward, James. Bad form."

"Very bad form," Remus put in. "It's like telling you're telling her you thought she was awkward."

"I did think she was awkward," James said in confusion, face growing a bit red as he took off his glasses, wiped them on his shirt, and put them on again. "She was always tripping. And for a while, her boobs were super pointy like-"

To stop him from going on, Sirius leapt from the bed to cover James' mouth. "No, Prongsie," he said seriously. "Yes, Evans was awkward for a few months when she was thirteen. We were all horribly awkward when we were thirteen. No reminders."

"Better yet, Prongs," Remus added, "Pretend you've completely forgotten everything that happened before seventh year."

Looking flustered, James flipped off both of them. "Sod off, both of you."

"Sorry, Prongs," Remus said, flashing him a sympathetic grin. "But you need to practice. Or you're going to slip up and say something about her pointy tits when you were supposed to be telling her how much you love her."

The response he got was less than appropriate.

"Alright," James said, heaving a great sigh. "This one."

He cleared his throat again, then got down on one knee. "Lily, I'm in love with you. And you are in love with me. I think-"

"No," Sirius vetoed, shaking his head again. "Never assume she's in love with you."

"But she is in love with me," James insisted, glaring at Sirius.

Laughing Remus chucked a pillow at James. "But you sound too much like a 'cocky, arrogant little prick,' to use Lily's words. Try something else."

"I hate all of you," James grumbled. "All. Of. You. Useless little prats, you lot are."

* * *

One more argument over color coordination, and Hermione would explode.

Lucius was lucky enough to have an excuse- he was, apparently, needed at the Ministry. As soon as Narcissa started lecturing both Anna and Hermione on appropriate lengths for table cloths, he checked his watch, kissed his young wife on the cheek, and left without a backward glance.

Christophe was not as lucky- he was roped into chaperoning his sister for the day. That accounted for the bored look on his face- but as the day wore on, his mood grew blacker and the wand he was twirling between his fingers started giving off sparks.

Hermione had noticed the wand right away- she had never seen on like it. Long and slightly curved, something about it made Hermione shiver slightly. The man seemed powerful- he never used the incantations, only a flick of his wrist and the wand.

The decorating committee took a small break for tea- and while Narcissa and Anna were conversing (to be read: exchanging gossip) about people they knew, Hermione took the opportunity to ask him about it.

"Narcissa said you are a wand maker?" Hermione asked, eyes darting to the cruel looking length of wood.

Christophe smirked, caressing the wand. "Not exactly," he said, somewhat evasively. "Yes, I used to make and sell wands in the Ukraine. But… my true passion is experimenting. As of now, in the world-wide magical community, wand making is strictly regimented. For example, answer me this. What wand cores have you heard of?"

The question took Hermione off guard. "Unicorn hair, phoenix feather, and dragon heartstring," she answered cautiously. "And once I met someone with a Veela hair as their wand core."

"Four, then," Christophe said quickly, a strange light in his eyes. "Four wand cores. Four magical beasts. Tell me, Mrs. Potter. How many magical beasts are there?"

"Too many to name off the top of my head," Hermione answered honestly, stomach sinking as she realized where he was going. "Hundreds."

The Dark wizard jumped on her answer. "And yet, we only use four for wands. That is what I seek to change. This wand, for example. Black walnut, ten and a half inches, and the core? Banshee hair. It has tremendous magical potential."

Hermione swallowed heavily, feeling a bit faint. "Banshee hair?" The only way to get close enough to a Banshee to pull out a hair was for that Banshee to be either dead or mute.

"Yes. Banshee hair. I had previously experimented with mermaid vocal cords, but the resulting wand was a bit too iffy for my taste. Then Banshee vocal cords produced a wand that was too… dramatic… so I tried the hair. A perfect fit. Beautiful. Inflexible, with a tendency toward Darker magics." The tone in the man's voice as he stroked the wand was caring, a proud parent extolling the virtues of their child.

Hermione felt sick. "What other experiments have you done?" she forced herself to ask. "With other wand cores?"

"Harpy feathers, grindylow tendons, hippogriff feathers, phoenix vocal cords, werewolf hair… the Dark Lord has been very generous in funding my projects." Christophe's face was lit with excitement, hands dancing in the air as he talked. "Once I am marked, of course, I will have even more access to test subjects. Haven't you ever wondered what is so special about Mudbloods? Do their bodies have special properties that allow them to channel magic that they shouldn't be able to? What would happen with a wand made from their heartstrings?"

Anna and Narcissa had apparently been listening to the conversation. "Brother dearest," called out the witch. "Not everyone is interested by your little pet projects. I believe you have just about bored Mrs. Potter to death with your theories, and she can ill afford anything that brings her closer to that inevitable fate." The slight sneer on the woman's face was the breaking point for Hermione.

"I'm not as weak as I apparently appear," Hermione snapped, feeling her anger course through her. Her hair must have been crackling- when she got angry enough, the static electricity was enough to make her hair fight gravity. "I am a powerful witch. I have done such things with my magic that you would never dare to dream of. And, quite unfortunately for you it would appear, I am nowhere near death now. The Dark Lord will restore me to my full health, and I will rise to power at his side. _Do I make myself clear?_"

Anna nodded slowly, regally. "Crystal. Although I would think that if you had as much control over your power as you claim, you would be able to keep your hair under control."

"_Nothing_ can keep my hair under control, love," Hermione said, her lifelong exasperation with her hair leaking into her voice. "Least of all my magic."

After a period of silence, Narcissa cleared her throat. "Back to the ballroom, now, yes? We still have plenty of work to do."

* * *

At six o'clock, when the fire still had yet to burn green and toss forth Hermione, Harry was nervous. When she still had yet to return at seven, he was worried. But by eight thirty, he was downright frantic and ready to storm Malfoy Manor.

Unsurprisingly, Remus was the voice of reason to calm him, Sirius, and Addie. "She's probably setting up a nasty little trap for tomorrow night," he assured them, hardly looking up from his book. However, once the hour had passed and nine o'clock was well on its way, he too was getting worried.

"Should I Floo over and get her?" Harry asked, checking his watch against the clock in the living room. "It's well past dark. And she needs to sleep before tomorrow." '

"Give her fifteen more minutes," Remus proposed, checking his watch again. "She should be here by nine-thirty."

Sure enough, about ten minutes later, the fire turned green and out came Hermione, looking exhausted and ill. "Sorry, everyone," she said with a large yawn. "I- sorry. I got an idea and took the time to set up a little something in the study. And then Lucius came home and Narcissa invited me to stay with them for dinner and-" she yawned again.

"It's alright, love," Harry answered, stepping forward to take her in his arms. Under the uncomfortable tickle of the Glamours, he could feel her body, soft and warm against his. He nuzzled her hair as the part of him that was antsy and in pain without her settled with the heat of her body.

With a careless sweep of her hand, Hermione canceled all the Glamours, color returning to her cheeks as they filled out at the same time. "I'm tired. And I'm starving. Is there anything left from dinner?"

An hour later, when Hermione had eaten and changed, it was just her and Harry in their bedroom. The room the Potters had given to the couple was generous, but cozy. Hermione loved it- the golden wood and the comfortingly blue walls. Now, in the dark of night, the room was lit only by the gaslights set in the walls.

"Do you have to wear pajamas?" Harry asked, only half joking. "I- I've gotten used to you sleeping without them. If it doesn't work tomorrow-"

She quieted him with a gentle kiss. "It will be alright tomorrow," she told him firmly, one hand light upon his jaw. Without another word, she slipped her camisole over her head and slid her shorts off, stretching along side his body.

"I love you," she whispered, kissing him again. "We'll be together until the end. We will succeed tomorrow. "

* * *

**Tell me what you think, as always. Did you like Christophe and Anna? I liked them. If you couldn't tell, I had fun with them. I like creepy Death Eaters! **

**Leave a review, please. It lets me know what you thought. Next chapter should be the confrontation with Voldemort. What do you think is going to happen? If anyone can guess what I am planning… you will get a chapter dedicated to you!**

**Check out my new story. It was a birthday present for my lovely cousin, . Draco/ Hermione if you like that sort of thing. **

**See you in October! Leave a review!**


	44. The Fall of Lord Voldemort, Part One

**I apologize for the extraordinarily long wait. I have my reasons- I'll explain after the chapter. **

**This is the what we've all been waiting for, I guess. The fall of Lord Voldemort, Part One. The entire fall is too long for one chapter.**

**You people have tons of conspiracy theories- way more elaborate than anything I was planning! It made me smile. As always, thanks to the people who reviewed. I love all of them. **

**Enjoy, please. Almost at the end, people!**

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was full of strained smiles and forced laughter, full plates and empty stomachs. Without noticing, Harry and Hermione circled around each other, passing plates and pouring beverages like they had done before people (ie, Sirius) had protested the weirdness. It seemed they just didn't care anymore. Both ended up with full plates, but neither ate much.

Harry was quiet and fierce, his arm protectively around Hermione. His eyes took in everything, noticing, recording, analyzing.

Hermione, on the other hand, ate slowly, then gave up, pushing her food around her plate. Her hands kept darting up to her face, to push away her hair or just to touch her own skin. A reassurance that she was still there. Still alive.

The others just ate in silence, most of them still sleepy. Lily yawned continually, as did James. Sirius was far from his usual joking mood, and Remus barely looked alive. The full moon wasn't far off- he still had a few days until his transformation, but he was still rather peaky.

After breakfast, Harry and Hermione retreated to their room to prepare, sequestering themselves away with serious looks. The rest of the Hogwarts students exchanged glances, then went their own ways. At around three, the dimension hopping couple resurfaced for lunch, then retreated once more. When they finally emerged once more, it was almost dark.

Harry brought everyone to the sitting room, where Hermione was already waiting. Sirius sucked in a breath at the same time Addie sighed with happiness.

"You look like a perfect pureblood lady, Hermione," said Addie, letting go of Sirius' hand to hug her friend. "Old Voldie shorts is going to be blown away." She adjusted Hermione's curls, then took a seat next to Sirius on the sofa.

"I hope not," Harry murmured, putting an arm around Hermione's slender waist. "Or rather, I hope I'm the one blowing him away. For the second time. Just saying."

Hermione gave her low chuckle, and Harry's eyes darkened as they met hers before the couple turned to face the room. They made a striking pair- it seemed that not all the time they had spent in their room had been devoted to planning. Harry's hair had a least a semblance of order, and his green eyes were striking behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. He stood tall and powerfully, his robes cutting a strong figure as they neatly outlined his shoulders. Hermione wore dress robes of deepest blue, small diamonds scattered around the skirt to simulate the night sky. Unlike her tea dress, this one didn't dip low in the back. The milky skin of her throat was exposed, as well as an expanse of her chest and collarbones. But the sleeves were long and full and the skirt swished softly when she moved. Her hair was bound in a complicated mess of ringlets, and her makeup served to 'hide' her illness and make her look frail and beautiful, a waif in the firelight.

As everyone took their seats, Harry and Hermione remained standing, arm in arm. "We called you here for a reason," Harry said, voice sounding less like a boy of nineteen and more like a man of forty. "You know what Hermione and I are going to try to do tonight. But you also know that we may fail."

A wave of protests rose and Hermione held out a hand. "You _know_ that it is a possibility," she said firmly. "That we might fail and the Dark Lord will capture or kills and that he will live."

"In that case," said Harry, meeting the eyes of his blood brothers equally, "I will tell you now not to come looking for us. Do not try and save us. They'll expect that. If it was possible to escape, we will. We do have some elements of surprise on our side. Mione, for example. They'll underestimate her. And as for me- we'll see."

Hermione looked directly at Lily. "You are the only ones who know that Voldemort is mortal. In our room is a letter for Headmaster Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix, and one for each of you. If something happens to us, if for some reason we die, the wards on our room will fall and then you can access those letters."

On the sofa, Addie was tucking herself further into Sirius' side, looking as miserable as Hermione was sure just about everyone else in the room felt. Lily had a spark in her eyes, and James was also looking a bit mad. He was able to contain himself better than Lily, who glared at Hermione. "So that was what this was for then? We're off on a dangerous mission, don't try to help us, we'll die anyway, our goodbyes are in the room, just wait till we hit the ground to open the letters?"

Harry shook his head. "No- not really. We just wanted to let you know that there is a Plan B if we get caught or if our plan doesn't work. We wouldn't want to leave you with nothing."

"That being said," Hermione added, checking the clock on the wall, "Harry and I are going to be late if we don't leave soon. Sirius, can I have a word? Outside?"

Sirius kissed the side of Addie's head and rose. "Of course," he replied, holding the door open for her, manners resurfacing with the appearance of dress robes.

As soon as they were outside, Harry pulled out his wand and warded the room quickly. "James," he said in a harsh whisper. "Remus. Lily. Addie. As a last resort, I'll send Hermione back with me. The necklace she's wearing is a one way Portkey. If she gets here and I'm not with her, disarm her and refuse knock her out until either I come back, or the news is out. And if neither of us come back, and the ward's haven't fallen, I will never forgive you if you don't try to rescue her."

Lily sighed heavily, and James ran a hand through his messy hair. "Doesn't that contradict everything you and Hermione just told us?"

Harry met his gaze firmly. "Yes. I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure Hermione is safe." With a slash of his wand, he brought down the wards.

* * *

Sirius followed Hermione out the door, shutting it softly with a click behind them. With affected nonchalance, he leaned against the wall and waited for her to start talking.

"I have two warnings for you," Hermione said evenly, eyes never leaving his. "The first should be obvious."

Unsurprisingly, Sirius cracked a grin. "Lemme guess. Addie."

Hermione nodded once. "Adelynne. Be careful with her, Sirius. Remember that she went through something horrible and she's doing all she can to block it out and forget and try to move on with her life. But sooner or later that dam is going to burst and she is going to be more fragile than ever. And then she'll get stronger."

He knew. He had known this, but the fact of it still made him flinch. "Should I get her to talk to me?"

"She'll talk when she's ready," Hermione told him gently. "It was a while for me before I could even talk to Harry. She may need more time. Be good to her. Be gentle. But treat her like would treat a normal girl at the same time." Hermione smiled wryly. "I know it sounds like a contradiction. But- it's possible. Sometimes nice and gentle and patient can be as suffocating as impatient and pressuring."

"Got it," Sirius said with a sigh. He scuffed his foot on the carpet like the boy he was- but then looked her in the eye like the man he was becoming. "You said you had two warnings?"

This time, Hermione regarded him for a moment before replying. "Yes. The second person I want you to be particularly careful with is Severus Snape."

At the affronted look on Sirius' face, Hermione feared for a moment that she had made a mistake, but she pressed on. "I'm being serious. He's a good person. A kind person. A boy who got a little lost but who is trying to do what he can. You already know that he's spying for our side. What further proof do you need that he's trying?"

Contrary to what Hermione was expecting, Sirius shrugged. "Lily got us to let up on him. I would say that he's a sneaky Slytherin bastard, but now that sounds extraordinarily childish. We only ever ganged up on him because James was jealous that he liked Lily. So- I'm not going to be his friend or anything, but I don't do anything to him."

"No," Hermione said strongly. "That's not what I was asking, Sirius. If something happens to Harry and I, Severus is going to need friends. Allies. He is betraying the Dark Lord, and if the loyal Death Eaters find out, they'll kill him. Severus is going to need friends again. You are going to make Lily get over her hurt pride and make James get over his jealousy and Remus get over his guilt and try and make him a place."

Before he could answer, Sirius found himself with an armful of girl. "Be careful," he whispered to her. "Hermione. You fell out of the sky and with you came one of the best friends I'll ever have and the girl I think I love. Be careful."

"I will," Hermione answered, squeezing him tightly. "Okay. Harry and I need to go."

They let go of each other, and returned to the warmly lit sitting room, where Harry was giving a stubbornly tearless Lily a hug. "I'll be fine," Harry said, trying to sound jovial, for her sake. "I've got Hermione at my back."

"And speaking of Hermione," Sirius added, "I'm the only one who got a hug. Guess who's her favorite, you lot!" He got the smile he wanted out of Lily.

Harry released his friend (mother? So. Con. Fused.) and took Hermione's hand. "I am," he called out at Sirius. "Are you ready, love?"

Hermione patted the bag that held the false prophecy. "I am," she replied steadily. "Where's the Floo powder?"

"Here," James said as he handed the bowl to Harry. "Good luck. We'll wait up for you."

Harry accepted the bowl, the sparkling acrid green powder shifting as he did. However, instead of taking a handful, he set it on the mantle and gathered Hermione in his arms. "I love you," he whispered in her ear, before he pulled away and kissed her feverishly. She responded in kind, grabbing at the fabric at the back of his robes.

The moment seemed so fragile, so heavy, that Lily had to look away. It was as if they were saying their last goodbye, and it was a kiss to private to look at. No- it was a kiss that was too private to know about, and it hurt her soul.

When she looked up again, Harry's robes were impeccable and Hermione was holding the bowl for him. The only sign of the kiss was the slight redness of her lips, and aching tenderness in Harry as he stroked her cheek once before taking a handful of powder.

It shimmered as he tossed it into the flames, and the emerald flames shot up and sparked as he stepped into them. "Malfoy Manner," Harry yelled, and in an instant he was spinning out of the fireplace.

Hermione waited a minute in silence, then she took a handful as well and threw it in. "Malfoy Manner," she said, and then she was spinning through fireplace after fireplace, keeping her mouth shut tightly as to not inhale ash.

And then Harry was on the other side, offering her a hand as she stepped down. The hall was as neatly decorated as she had left in the other day- except instead of a spacious but empty entrance hall, the room was filled with people.

Narcissa hurried over delightedly, clapping her hands when she saw Hermione's dress. "You look beautiful!" she exclaimed, offering a hand to Harry and hugging Hermione. "Just in time too- I was just about to call everyone to dinner."

With a practiced gesture, Narcissa clapped her hands twice, the sound echoing off the walls, courtesy of magic. "Dinner!" she announced, beaming at the crowd. "The Dark Lord awaits us in the dining room. Please!"

Conversation started up again, and the crowd of people made their way into the dining room, couples splitting off from larger groups as they found their places at the table, each person's name neatly demarcated on a little card.

Harry escorted Hermione, both politely listening to Narcissa as she blathered on about something- neither of them were relaxed enough to offer much in the ways of unimportant conversation. Finally, Narcissa left them at their spaces of the table to join her husband.

At the head of the table sat the self-titled Lord Voldemort, who smiled toothily as he stared down at the table. Hermione felt the shiver run down her spine as she took him in- she had never seen him in this dimension. At first, Hermione thought the Horcruxes and other dark magic had yet to distort his face; however, when he stood to welcome his followers, a slight shimmer accompanied him and she realized that he was wearing a Glamour. The Dark Lord was not a handsome wizard of some indeterminate age- he was probably the snake-faced soulless monster she had known in her time.

Lord Voldemort, now standing, spread his arms out as if to welcome them all. "My loyal followers," he rasped. "You will see the dawning of a new age- the beginning of the golden age of wizardry. Now you sit before me tonight as mere purebloods- with none of the rights and privileges you deserve. Your Ministry is filled with stupid halfbloods and Mudbloods- and you can do nothing."

He looked around the table, and some people drew back. "I will change that," Voldemort crooned, voice lowering and becoming more and more hypnotic. "With you at my side, I will exterminate the threat to our race- the one that creeps inside our schools, insidious, seeking to bring down all of you…"

"With you by my side, we will change the Wizarding World for the better. We will cleanse it and make it clean, make it new." Finally he sat. "Now, we feast. And after, we begin."

He clapped his hands twice, and delicate glass bowls full of a fragrant soup appeared on their plates. It smelled excellent- it wasn't long before the table was full of chatter and the clinking of spoons on the glass. There were about thirty people along the long table- all elegantly dressed, most young, and most definitely pureblooded. Hermione noticed that there was a slight resemblance among the faces, and shuddered a bit inside- inbreeding. It seemed that someone in the family had a rather strong nose that had been passed around.

Further down the table, Cristophe and Anna were conversing with an arrogant couple; Christophe looked bored beyond belief, but Anna was soaking it up. Seated next to Lucius was Severus Snape- Hermione gave him a small smile that he returned with a nod.

Next to her was a heavyset man with a dour face who was speaking quietly with his companion, and next to Harry was a quiet little slip of a woman who was nodding in agreement with everything her husband was saying. Across from Harry was a lovely young woman with long brown bangs and big doe eyes, wearing an equally lovely pink dress- according to her name card, Charlotte Nott.

Charlotte's husband, Theodore, was much older with a much sterner face. "How do you do," he said gruffly, nodding at Harry. "Theo. And Charlotte, my wife."

"Harry," said Hermione's husband, offering a grin. "And my Hermione."

Charlotte smiled happily at Hermione. "My Hermione, he says," she said saucily. "You've got him wrapped around your little finger, no doubt. I applaud you, Harry's Hermione. He's a keeper."

"I'm afraid he's very possessive," Hermione said, shaking her head. "We've been married less than two weeks." Inside, her mind was whirling. Theodore Nott's parents. Such normal people. So normal. Kind, even. As the meal progressed to a beautifully arranged plate of quail and vegetables, and the two couples continued to talk, they seemed even more normal.

Arranged marriages were still the norm for most wizards. Charlotte's older sister Agnes had been engaged to Theodore- but calamity struck in the form of a fatal case of dragon pox and Charlotte had to step into the marriage contract in her sister's place.

"We were lucky," Charlotte had said, a brief look of sorrow crossing her face. "Most pureblooded families only have one child- that's why everyone hopes for boys. The Weasleys are the exception, though, you know. But they're cursed, everyone knows that."

Hermione and Harry had looked at each other in surprise. "What?" Hermione asked incredulously. "They're- they're cursed?"

For a moment, Charlotte looked at them strangely, then clapped her hands together. "I'm sorry- I forgot you weren't from around here. Yes- they are. It was a few generations back, you know. The Weasleys and the Malfoys have always had their little feud- well-" she looked around, then giggled and continued in a . "I keep forgetting that we can talk freely here. Okay. So, one of the Malfoys got their hands on a curse that makes you have nothing but boys- lots of boys. It was amazingly clever- if they have tons of boys, all of them have to inherit something and before you know it, the family fortune is spread out across a huge clan. And yes they have numbers, but they're dirt poor so it doesn't matter. Genius, wasn't it?"

Under the table, Hermione reached for Harry's hand. "Genius," she echoed softly. "But how long should it last for?" Harry squeezed her hand gently.

Theo shrugged. "It's been four generations so far without any girls. Arthur Weasley just started at the Ministry- he's a seventh son, you know. He's got a few boys already, I think. It should start to fizzle soon, the curse. In fact, I'm not sure they even know they're cursed."

"Then how would you know?" Hermione asked Charlotte. "You said everyone knows."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "It's obvious. The last time a pureblooded family had more than two children was in 1958. And that was because twins run in the Prewett family- and I'm sure their blood is tainted somewhere. The Blacks had two children, but then again Walburga Black was always rather… sturdy. And my family had two girls. But both my mum and my dad were only children."

"Mine too," Theo added. "Although, I think my grandfather had a little sister that lived to about four or five." He shrugged, his thin mustache quivering on his face. "I'd be happy with one boy to carry on the family name and one girl to marry off."

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other again. "That would be nice," Harry managed. "As far as I know, my family has been only children for generations. Although- my mum had a sister."

"Children are such a delicate subject," Charlotte said with a sigh. "It's so complicated nowadays. Did you read the article by Professor Handringe of Durmstrang? He speculated that it's the rise in the number of Mudbloods that's increasing the number of squibs and accelerating the death rates of purebloods. Apparently, he's discovered something he's calling the Law of Conservation of Magic- there can only be so much magic in the world at one time."

Hermione fought to keep her jaw from dropping. The Law of Conservation of Magic? Where was this man coming from? The Law of Conservation of Energy? Or the Law of Conservation of Charge? Did he take basic physics and realize that magic changed that all? "That sounds…" Harry was struggling with coming up with an appropriate answer.

"That sounds interesting," Hermione finished for him weakly. "Owl me the article, will you?"

"Of course," Charlotte said brightly. "He really is brilliant. He wrote another paper- it's a theory of his on the proper method of lower-life form management. You know- how to make sure other magical life forms know their place. He really has a wonderful plan for the reeducation aspect of things-"

That was enough to make Hermione see red, and she choked on a piece of quail. Harry patted her back quickly, taking advantage of her coughing to change the subject. Hermione stayed silent until she was sure she wasn't going to strangle anyone, then rejoined the conversation.

It seemed like dinner would last forever- when small bowls full of fruity sorbet appeared, Hermione gave a small breath of relief. But no- Narcissa couldn't restrain herself to only one dessert. Next were tiny marzipan replicas of the Malfoy crest, and finally, a dark chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse. It was elaborate, delicious, and Hermione had to feign a dainty appetite.

But after a final cup of dark coffee, Voldemort rose once more, commanding silence with the spread of his arms. The sleeves of his heavy robes hung down, like the wings of a dark angle as his handsome face split into a beatific smile. "My loyal followers," he called out. "We have sated ourselves on this wonderful feast. And now, we conduct our business in the anteroom. If the women would retire to the drawing room- and if those who are marked and those who will be marked will follow me to the antechamber."

Hermione gripped Harry's hand tightly, then reached into her bag to withdraw the silk drawstring bag that held the false prophecy. She pressed it into his hand, then they rose fluidly to do as Voldemort had bid them.

* * *

Hermione glanced at the ornate clock in the drawing room- she was guessing the amount of time it would take Harry to introduce the prophecy. She moved the skirt of her dress impatiently- on her right, Charlotte Nott was prattling about something and Narcissa was nodding in agreement.

"I absolutely despise the way that woman's dress," a voice murmured in Hermione's ear. It was the vicious girl from the day before- Anna. She had a cool bored expression on her face, one that reflected exactly how happy she was to be here. "Honestly. You don't wear butter yellow with that complexion."

The Gryffindor turned and glared. "I'm surprised you're wearing dark brown with your complexion," she snapped.

"I can pull it off," Anna drawled. "You look bored to tears. Now, as much as you annoyed me yesterday, it seems as if you intrigued my brother." She smiled, a sharp toothed smile that would have made a weaker woman flinch in fear. "And I will admit, myself as well. Not many people can catch his attention."

"I thought you were getting marked tonight," Hermione said, not liking where the other woman was going. "Narcissa said both you and your brother." She withdrew a handkerchief and coughed into it delicately.

For a moment, Anna's face darkened into a scowl before she blinked it away. "For some reason, the Dark Lord is adverse to marking women," said Anna. "My brother will be the only one under his wand tonight. Another time, mayhaps."

"Pity," said Hermione disinterestedly, twisting her head to glance at the clock again. She should have been in her hiding spot already. "Narcissa?"

The blonde hostess halted her conversation, head tilting quizzically in Hermione's direction. "Yes?"

"I'm not feeling well," Hermione said, coughing again. "I think I shall return to the house now- would you inform Harry when he is finished with the Dark Lord?"

Narcissa's face was immediately clouded with pity. "Of course, Hermione, dear," simpered the woman. "Dobby!"

With a crack, the house elf appeared in the drawing room, bowing so low his long nose brushed the lush carpet. "What can Dobby do for Mistress?"

"Escort Mrs. Potter to the Floo. She will be leaving." Narcissa's voice had changed from warm and caring- as much as a woman like her could care anyway- to cold and snappish.

Dobby bowed further. "Yes, Mistress. Right away, Mistress."

Narcissa put a kindly hand on Hermione's arm. "Just follow the house elf- I'll tell Harry myself that you've already left."

"Thank you," said Hermione, laying a hand on top of Narcissa's. "I'll drop by for tea tomorrow?"

Narcissa smiled coolly. "Of course."

* * *

Harry waited among the ranks of Death Eaters, waited until Lord Voldemort was finished weaving a web of lies and promises, a fiction of a world that contained wealth, respect, and happiness. And slaves, subjugation, and extermination.

To occupy his mind, he glanced about the room, taking in the stone walls and tapestries, a room deep in the bowels of Malfoy Manor. Lucius and the other marked Death Eaters, Severus included, stood behind the Dark Lord's throne-chair, looking down at the 'new recruits' with disdain. There were about seven or eight others with Harry.

Finally, he asked if they had any questions. It was time. "My Lord," Harry said loudly, stepping forward. "I have a… concern." He kept his body loose and head high, a small smile playing on his lips. The confidence in his voice, however, was not an affectation. The thrill of the game was sending the adrenaline coursing through his body, lighting his eyes and making him dangerous.

Voldemort leaned forward in his throne-like chair, and Harry could almost imagine a forked tongue flitting out and the man emitting a hiss. "Ah? And on what basis rests your concern?"

"This prophecy," Harry said, lowering his voice to hold the attention in the room. He slipped it out of the silk bag, the orb glowing faintly in the room. He kept the bag between his skin and the orb. "I… acquired it through an acquaintance. I would request a private audience with you, my Lord, as to show this to you." He maintained a tone of barely respectful insolence, his gaze challenging the evil man's.

Voldemort leaned back in his chair. "And why not play it here and now?" He put the tips of his fingers together, much like Dumbledore did when awaiting an answer to an important question.

Ah. It seemed as if a risk would be needed. Harry glanced around the room disdainfully. "If you wish." He withdrew the smoky glass ball from its pouch. He tapped it twice with his wand, allowing a voice to creak forth. He kept his eyes on Voldemort, waiting and watching.

"The One with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…" the voice said slowly, hypnotically, before Harry tapped it once more to pause. The quiet murmurs and rustles of clothing that had filled the anteroom died away completely, and silence reigned. Voldemort had gone even paler, if possible, and the spidery hands that emerged from his robes were gripping the arms of his throne much tighter than necessary.

"Do you wish for me to continue playing this?" Harry said carefully, not meeting Voldemort's eyes. "Or would you grant me a private audience?"

The megalomaniac's eyes opened wide for a moment, and his mouth opened, before he shut both abruptly. Voldemort stood, a tight smile appearing on his Glamoured face. "I will require the use of your study, Lucius."

* * *

Hermione followed Dobby as the elf led her to the Floo fireplace in silence. Halfway there, Hermione stopped and cleared her throat.

"Dobby," she called, halting the little elf. "I'm really sorry."

The little house elf titled his head and peered at her from his bright green eyes, the same shape and color as tennis balls. "What is Miss sorry for? Miss has done nothing wrong!"

"Stupefy," Hermione whispered, the end of her wand protruding from her sleeve. "Sorry again, Dobby." She levitated the elf into a little corner, then conjured a blanket to cover him. "Sleep well." Something inside her clenched when she thought about the possibility of Dobby being freed if all went as it was meant to. Silently, she promised to return and free the house elf who had been so loyal to Harry.

Harry. He would be leading Voldemort to the study by now. Hermione gathered her skirts and ran down the hall. It wasn't long before she turned the corner, skidded in her fancy shoes, and ducked into Lucius's study. With practiced movements, she disabled all the listening and secrecy spells, and set up her own. Hopefully, it would look like the ones that had previously been in place.

The next step was to actually get ready to fight- if running in dress robes could be considered difficult, dueling in them would be at least twice as hard. It wasn't too hard to transfigure fabric- thankfully, there was enough to make proper fighting clothes. Tight sleeves that still allowed enough movement for complicated wand motions, loose pants that would let her jump and dodge without much problems.

All that was left was concealment- both a Disillusionment Charm and the Invisibility Cloak. Hermione would take no chances. Her wand was in her hand and pointing at the door. She was ready.

* * *

Harry could almost feel the rage pouring off Voldemort as the evil wizard stalked down the elegant corridors of the Malfoy home. He swallowed hard- he wasn't stupid. Voldemort was a wizard to be feared. Formidable. Deadly. And now- mortal.

The door to Lucius' study opened with a bang and the Dark Lord swept inside, still unnaturally pale. As soon as Harry was inside the room, the door slammed shut behind him.

It was finely decorated, the study of the Head of House Malfoy. Done in dark woods, with appropriately severe furnishings, it screamed wealth and power. A fitting place for the death of a power hungry wizard. Voldemort seated himself behind the desk, glaring at Harry, who remained standing.

"Play this… prophecy," Voldemort hissed, the Glamour over his face flickering. "Do not fool around with me, boy!"

Harry nodded once, coolly. "As my lords wishes," he murmured, tapping the ball with his wand.

On cue, the voice began to speak once more. "The One with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… Born as the seventh month dies, born to those who have thrice defied him… The Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, giving him a power he knows not…"

Behind Voldemort, Harry could see the slight flicker that was Hermione. His heart sped up, and his hand trembled slightly before he caught hold of himself and steadied his hand. The Dark Lord didn't seem to notice, still intent on the prophecy.

So intent on the prophecy, in fact, he didn't notice the silent Stunner that hit him the back. The look of shock on his face was very nearly comical- and yet, it was over in an instant as he fell over, face hitting the desk with a sickening crunch.

Hermione pulled of the cloak and removed the spell, face flushed in triumph. "We did it," she whispered. "Now for the hard part."

"Petrificus Totalus," Harry cast first, holding up a hand. "Stupefy. Dormius. Stupefy. Incarcerious." Finally, he looked down at the wizard with satisfaction. "Sorry, Mione. I just want to make sure he won't wake up."

Hermione stretched up to kiss him lightly. "No problem, love. Let's get him ready." She stepped around Harry and grabbed Riddle's wand, shuddering when her fingers touched his. "Do you want the honors?" she asked softly. "Snap the wand that would have killed your parents?"

It was a tempting offer- one that felt too tempting somehow. "You do it," Harry said in a voice just as quiet. "I think- I think that if I did it, I would enjoy it too much. Death is something to regret, not rejoice in. Even if it the death of the man who killed your parents."

She nodded once, and with a quick flex of her arms, broke the wand in two.

The moment was almost surreal- they had just _Stunned_ Lord Voldemort and snapped his wand. The most evil man in half a century- the one who killed hundreds and terrified the entire Wizarding community of Great Britain. The Ministry had been hunting him for almost two years- and in that time had failed to capture the wizard they referred to as "You-Know-Who" or even "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" so great was their fear. It wasn't as if they had no reason to fear- it had to be admitted, the burning homes and tortured bodies with the Dark Mark hovering above it all was a valid reason to be terrified.

The hard part, for Harry and Hermione, had been deciding what to do with Voldemort. They had finally settled on one option- one that allowed them to do as they had done with Bellatrix- explain. They would bind Voldemort's magic, tearing from him the power that others feared so much. And then they would kill him.

The ritual was long, and it was complicated. To remove someone's magical core from their soul without killing them required precision, expertise, and an extensive knowledge of soul magic. All things that neither of them had.

But Voldemort had taken care of that for them- when he first rent his soul in two, he was underage and his magic had yet to stabilize. And then he split his soul again. And again. Through his own quest for immortality, Tom Riddle had allowed a weakness to form. His soul was so unstable, just a tug on his magic would pull it free from his body.

The day before, Hermione had entered the study and removed the luxurious rug, revealing the carefully polished wooden floor that lay beneath. Now, when she did the same, two chalky pentagrams were visible. She had used chalk to make the outline, and then scattered salt and dripped holly oil. With Harry's help, they deposited him in the smaller of the two pentagrams, then stepped into the other together.

"I'll need some help to raise the protections," Hermione said softly. "If you are touching my skin, I'll be able to channel your magic, hopefully."

Harry stood behind her, and placed his hands on either side of her face. "Ready when you are, love." In a slow motion, forehead scrunched with concentration, Hermione raised her arms. After a few moments, Harry felt the wrenching sensation that turned into a flowing down his arms and to his hands, and into Hermione. Slowly, a milky shimmer arose around them and around Voldemort.

By the time the barriers formed a dome around their heads, Hermione was sweating from the exertion and breathing heavily. "Now for the really hard part," she choked. "I have to call his magic from his body without destroying the room. And I'll try not to destroy him either."

"If you can't it's not going to be a tragedy," Harry muttered. "Do what you need to do, 'Mione." He glared at the immobilized dark wizard.

For the longest time, it seemed as if nothing was happening- Hermione had her eyes closed and her wand was moving faster and faster as she seemed to strain harder and harder. But she didn't move, and there was no visible sign of any magic taking place.

Until Hermione sagged in Harry's arms and a sound like a thunderclap sounded through the mansion. "His magic is gone," Hermione whispered. "And I'm 95% sure he's still alive."

"I think he's moving," Harry whispered back. "The Death Eaters are going to be coming soon. What do you want to do?"

Hermione bit her lip, glancing at the heavy wooden door. She turned around to look Harry in the eye. "My wards should keep them out for a while," she said hesitantly. "Let's wake him up and explain quickly. Give him the opportunity to do or say what he wants. And we should record this."

"Here or somewhere else?" Harry asked, caressing her face quickly. "I'm sure the tent is somewhere in your purse."

It only took her a moment to consider. "Elsewhere," she said finally. "Could you send a Patronus to the Ministry and let them know that there is a gathering of Marked Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor?"

"Dumbledore too," Harry decided. "Hopefully he can convince everyone at the Ministry that it's not a prank or something."

Hermione lowered the barriers, wincing at the magical backlash. "Sounds good. The Forest of Dean?"

"The same place should work," agreed Harry. "You go first, and set up. I'll meet you there."

* * *

**Well- that's part one. Hopefully, it's not that bad, as far as cliffhangers go. I hope you appreciate that I didn't end it further up in the chapter.**

**Now, I have some explaining to do. Two things are going to be affecting my writing for the next few months. First, I'm probably going to be moving come December, which means transferring schools and moving across several states. So I'm going to be in a new school in the middle of the school year, trying to catch up, for the ninth time in my short life. Which sucks. Majorly. And second, my lovely laptop is nearing death. And I recently got an iPad from my school. But… I can't really **_**write**_** on my iPad. So when my computer dies, I'm going to be stuck using that and trying my best to write on that device. Who knows? Maybe it'll work. I'll try. But the next chapter will prolly be a while. I'm sorry. **

**Review! Please. Pretty please. I fear you all are losing interest, and that drives me into the arms of my other stories. Let me know what you think is going to happen. What you thought about what already happened. What you like, what you don't. **

**Ausland**


	45. The Fall of Lord Voldemort, Part Two

**Hello, my lovelies.**

**A disclaimer, because I always forget: Not mine. J K Rowling's. She's the genius, I'm the girl who is obsessed with her characters. And who feels the need to mess with the pairings. :)**

**Well, I did move. Which did suck. I swear, I HATE moving with all my heart and soul. My Christmas Eve dinner was at **_**Waffle House.**_** It's usually a big event in my family and we have French cheeses and several courses. Waffle House. Not cool. And I start at my new school in three days, which I'm terrified about.**

**Notice the new cover for this story- made by my lovely friend Jasmin. The entire picture is of James, Sirius, Remus, Harry, Hermione, and Severus. The paper wasn't big enough for Addie or Lily, but It shows all the boys and Mione. Sirius has the cutest collar bones and "Imma sexy beast" expression, and James is all "I'm cool," and Severus looks slightly upset. But it's perfect. Perfect. It was my Christmas present from her, and it is amazing. **

**But in the weeks without internet, I wrote you this chapter! Now that we have internet, I can post. Enjoy. I will warn that I have no music on my computer, which means that this was written in silence or racous-not productive for writing noise. So I feel that it was a bit off, but I can't place it. And Voldie was horrible to characterize. **

**So… read.**

* * *

He sat bound in a chair, the wizard who had almost brought the magical community of Great Britain to their knees.

Getting out of the study had required an added bit of deception, for getting Harry out with the added burden of Lord Voldemort through the front door would have been all but impossible. After a brief discussion with Hermione, Harry had exited the room, casting a disdainful glace at the assembled masses of Death Eaters. "Our Lord requested a private audience," he drawled, raising an eyebrow in an approximation of the Snape of his childhood. "I thought that would have been enough to keep you where you were. But he predicted this level of stupidity from his loyal… followers." His voice oozed disdain.

As Harry had anticipated, many of the men bristled at that remark. "What do you mean, boy?" snapped a man with a rather red face and fluffy mustache.

"I mean that the Dark Lord is performing some complicated and serious magic and some rumblings are natural," Harry responded calmly. "Although you lot obviously don't know that. Now, in case you didn't gather it earlier, _get back where you were._" He smiled thinly, knowing that ice was leaking from his gaze. "Unless you would like to ask yourselves?" It was a risk, but a calculated one. It was rather Slytherin of him- he was proud of himself.

The Death Eaters had turned to go, but Harry raised a hand. "All except for you, Lucius." The haughty blond man's expression didn't change, but somehow he seemed to radiate even more arrogance than before.

"I do as the Dark Lord bids," Lucius drawled, waving a hand at the rest of the men. "Go. I'm sure we will be joining you shortly."

Harry waited until the men had left, adopting a serious expression in place of his imperial one as soon as McNair had rounded the corner. "Lucius. He wants you to lower the wards on the house."

The aristocratic man frowned. "Is something wrong?" He was obviously uncomfortable with the prospect of leaving the ancestral manor undefended.

Harry just looked at him, eyes level. "Divination has never been my strong point. The Dark Lord has obviously formidable power- he is going to attempt some kind of scrying and all the wards need to be down."

Lucius glanced at the door. "Of course. Let me know as soon as you are finished to set them back up." Lucius closed his eyes, mouth moving without sound. Harry felt, rather than saw the wards drop, a slight lessening of the magic around them. "There. It is done."

"Good," Harry said, casting a glance at the room that held a bit of fear, for Lucius' benefit. He turned back to the man, lowering his voice. "You might want to warn Narcissa."

It was evident that Lucius hadn't considered his wife. "Ah. Yes. If you will excuse me?"

"Of course," Harry said, giving the other wizard a sharp nod and opening the door just wide enough to slip through.

From there, it was easy for him to set up a silencing ward to allow Hermione to Apparate out unencumbered, then send a Patronus to Dumbledore and then the Ministry before Side-Along Apparating with Voldemort.

It made the hair on the back of his neck an on his arms stand up to touch Voldemort- but it was a purely psychological reaction. The malevolent presence that had previously lingered in the air around the Dark Lord was gone. The man was there, but the evil magic was gone.

Harry used a handy spell to make some convincing thunder sounds, then Apparated out, vaguely feeling the tugging on his magic reserves that it took to Apparate with another person after a magical strain. Hermione had not used his magic sparingly when calling up the magical barriers- this was an unwelcome side effects.

She was there, waiting for him when he dropped Voldemort's body on the ground with a thud. He didn't want to touch it any longer than he had to- instead, he withdrew his wand an levitated the man inside the tent. There a chair was waiting for him to tie Riddle to. He made short work of the bindings, testing their tightness to insure the man would not escape.

And there he was, slowly waking up. Unaware of the poison coursing through his veins.

Both Harry and Hermione were standing in front of him, hopefully keeping his attention from the recording equipment in the back of the tent. They wore carefully controlled expressions, and had changed into comfortable clothes well suited for fighting if need be.

They weren't about to underestimate Tom Marvalo Riddle, even when he was drained of his magic.

His slit-like eyes opened quickly, immediately realizing something was wrong. They focused on Harry, narrowing further. "You."

"Me," Harry replied glibly. "Harry Potter. You. Tom Riddle."

"What have you done?" The question was quiet, but both teens could feel the rage simmering under the surface.

Hermione spoke, keeping her voice smooth. "For several months now, we have been hunting. Our hunting grounds have varied- a very special room in the depths of Hogwarts, an run-down old shack. We pitted our wits against those who protected the items we sought- Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange were no match for us."

Lord Voldemort was a brilliant man, evident in the way he quickly grasped what Hermione was saying. "No." And then, lunging at her, "NO!"

Instantly, two wands were pointing at him. "Yes," Harry said, just as calm as Hermione. "We killed the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, and we used its fangs to destroy the diary that Lucius didn't hide quite well enough, the ring buried under the ground of the Gaunt hovel, the diadem we found in the Room of Requirement, and the cup that Bellatrix handed to us before we killed her."

"All of your Horcruxes are gone, Tom," Hermione said softly, almost mockingly. "You are completely mortal."

The gravity of his situation hit the evil wizard like a stack of bricks. His face paled, reddened, and paled again, in a routine very similar to Vernon Dursley's. His mouth opened, then closed again. Tom's hands clenched at his sides. "I will kill you for what you have done," he whispered with pure malice.

Hermione shook her head. "You will not," said the witch. "I think you've noticed something else is wrong."

"Something is bothering you terribly," Harry added. "An nagging sense of something that is terribly wrong. A truth that has been becoming more and more apparent but one that you don't want to believe."

"What did you do to me?" yelled the broken wizard hoarsely. "You demonic children- what did you do?"

Hermione looked him in the eye. "There is a ritual called _Isli de l'esprit severum ton magicasum. _The ritual to sever the magic from the person, to render the soul of a witch or wizard devoid of any magic."

"You lie," Voldemort said confidently, sitting straighter in his bonds. "You impertinent girl. Do you think I don't know how complicated that ritual is? How much magical power it requires? How much time it takes? It is impossible."

Harry laughed. "Or is it?" he asked, crossing his arms. "Is it really?"

"If the subject had a whole soul, perhaps it would have been difficult for me," Hermione drawled. "But what if the subject has already made incisions into their soul? What if they have already carved it into pieces? What if their soul is used to being rent, is accustomed to dividing?"

Tom watched her, eyes blazing. "NO!" he roared. "NO! I, the man who has gone where no wizard has gone before, I, the most powerful man in the country if not the world, I-"

"You are a wizard no longer," Harry said harshly. "A slip of a girl has torn your magic from you. You are a mortal man, with no magic to his name."

"Impossible," Voldemort whispered. "Impossible."

Hermione shrugged. "I try," she said, steeling herself not to flinch when the Dark Lord lunged at her again. "If you don't believe us, try a wandless spell. It was said you were quite adept at them."

Harry and Hermione watched as he tried spell after spell, from advanced to the most basic. But even Tom Riddle could realize when he was defeated, it seemed.

"What do you want from me?" he raged. "You have taken my soul, my wand, my magic. What else can you possibly want?"

Harry shook his head. "We wanted to give you a taste of the pain you have caused us. All you loved has been ripped from you, and you know your own life will be taken next. If you wish, we can tell you why."

"We also wanted to give you the chance to explain yourself," Hermione added. "Honestly, we are nothing if not curious."

"But we can stand a bit of curiosity," said Harry with a shrug. "So don't think we're going to prolong your life in exchange for information. We're not _that _curious."

Voldemort took in a quiet breath. "You first," he rasped. "I too, can have curiosity. How did you know where my Horcruxes were? How did you know how to destroy them?"

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, then conjured chairs. "It's a long story," Harry explained. "And we're so far out in the middle of nowhere that we can afford to take our time."

Voldemort's expression soured. "Fan-fucking-tastic," he spat, barking out a bitter laugh at their startled expressions. "What? Evil dark lords can't cuss?"

Hermione shrugged. "I wasn't expecting you to act so…"

"Human?" Voldemort proposed in an oily voice. "Normal? So much like that boy who you love?"

"Don't start playing mind games with me, Tom," Hermione warned, eyes flashing. "I know exactly how human you are. And I know exactly how monstrous humans can be because of what you've done."

The red eyes burned with hate. "Then tell your story, girl," he hissed. "Tell yours and then let me tell mine."

Harry started the tale. "In 1981, James and Lily Potter had a baby boy they named Harry James Potter."

"1981 hasn't happened yet," Voldemort snapped. "If you are going to waste my time with a story, at least make it plausible."

"Shut up," Hermione snapped. "You're the reason we're in 1978 and not 1990's like we're supposed to be."

If he had eyebrows, they would have raised. "Time travelers?"

"Dimensional hoppers," Hermione replied. "Can you let Harry talk now?"

"As I was saying," Harry said with a glare for Voldemort. "They had a son, in July of that year. Earlier, a Death Eater named Severus Snape had overheard a job interview at the Hog's Head, for the position of Divination professor. Sybil Trelawney gave a true prophecy that day, fortelling the downfall of the Dark Lord at the hands of a child born as July closed, a child born to parents who had defied him three times. Lily and James Potter had defied you thrice, so had Frank and Alice Longbottom. Neville Longbottom was born the day before Harry Potter."

He stopped, and Hermione continued. "And Lord Voldemort, terrified that a baby would grow up and defeat him, went after the two boys. A friend of the Potters betrayed them when the boy was a year old, and Voldemort- you- traveled to their hidden house and murdered James Potter as he told his wife to run with their child." The sadness and anger in her voice condemned him, and with a flash of realization, Tom Riddle knew that for all else that he had done, the killing of James Potter was the first strike against him in her eyes.

Harry put a hand over Hermione's. "And then you climbed the stairs and told Lily Potter to move aside. She begged you to kill her and spare the baby. You killed her and turned your wand on him. Me. And as you spoke the most evil curse of all on the boy you just orphaned, it rebounded on a mother's love and hit you."

"You disappeared for ten years," Hermione went on. "And Harry Potter grew up unloved and mistreated in the home of his Muggle relatives, until he went to Hogwarts. There he met a redheaded boy and a bushy haired girl and they fought a troll together and became the best of friends."

"Is this going somewhere?" Voldemort snapped. "Because I have a feeling I don't have much time left and I don't want to waste it listening to a story of 'the best of friends,' little girl."

Hermione glared at him. "My name is Hermione Potter, you overgrown pustule. But we can get to the point. It only means you die quicker."

"To tell a long story short," Harry said, a hint of amusement in his voice, "I grow up, you try to kill me frequently, and you end up causing the deaths of the people I love. And who she loves. Dumbledore finds out about your Horcruxes-"

"That bloody goat-loving hypocrite," snarled Voldemort, interrupting. "I should have killed him years ago."

Harry looked at Hermione, who nodded. "Severus Snape killed him when I was sixteen," said Harry. "And then Hermione, Ron, and I went after your Horcruxes. Bellatrix Lestrange captured Hermione, I went after her, something you did sent Hermione here. After I killed you, I got sent here too."

"And to prevent what happened in our world, we decided to take matters into our own hands," Hermione chimed in. "Find your Horcurxes, kill you, and then wait out the time we're trapped here."

Voldemort just stared at the two of them. "Merlin."

"This is so strange," Hermione muttered. "You've haunted my nightmares since I was twelve and I've managed to render you speechless, not to mention incapacitated."

Harry narrowed his eyes, something dawning on him with a certain flash of cold fright. "You aren't scared."

"What?" Hermione asked, her hand tightening spasmodically in Harry's. "What is it?"

"You aren't terrified, or raging," Harry said slowly. "Dumbledore said the thing you feared the most was death. You would do anything to prevent it."

Voldemort shrugged, the best he was able. "I'm in shock," he said bluntly. "And I'm also sure that something is going to happen soon that will work out in my favor. You have signed your own death sentence, Harry Potter. And I'm sure Severus will appreciate you, girl, in return for his loyalty. You may die when he sees fit, and I shall only require your dead body as proof."

They all looked at each other for a moment.

"Oh," Hermione said faintly. "That's…"

"Never going to happen," Harry reassured her. "Even if it did, you have no magic. No future in the Wizarding world."

Hermione snorted. "Although, I can so see him taking over the Muggle world." _Thank god we poisoned him. Just in case._

* * *

"I wonder how they're doing," Lily questioned aloud, fingers tapping out a strange rhythm on James' arm. Her red-gold head was resting on her boyfriend's shoulder, and she cradled his arm as if craving the physical reassurance that everything was going to be alright.

Lily and James were sharing the loveseat in one of the Potter's sitting rooms, with Remus stretched out on the sofa and Sirius on the winged armchair with Addie on his lap. The five friends were sitting the vigil together, barely speaking as they stared at the flickering fire.

Sirius made a sound low in his throat, a half-grunt. "Fine, probably. It's Harry and Hermione. They always know what to do and how to do it. They're-" he stopped himself. "I don't want to jinx them. Hypothetically. Or- no. Not-literally? Just in case."

"They've always seemed superhuman," Remus said sleepily. "I mean, look at Hermione. She came here and got organized and she's the bloody strongest freaking person I've ever known. Except for Harry, maybe."

Addie eagerly nodded her agreement. "I know! When I was- when I was _there_ they came in smooth and perfect and glittering. And they completely fooled everyone. And then as soon as we were alone, Hermione was trying to help me. She said she'd get me out of there and she did." No one had to ask as to where _there_ referred to, but they understood. They had seen Hermione when she had come back from that dreadful tea. "No one has ever seemed that worried and yet that confident at the same time."

It took James to sum up what all of them were thinking. "They aren't natural. It's because of what they went through. And I don't think they like it."

"Of course not," Lily said, almost scathingly. "Do you remember when Hermione used to wake up with nightmares? Well, you weren't in the Girls' Dorms, but still. Sometimes she would scream pretty loud. Anyway. And she always had that… desperate look on her face, until Harry came. Now it only comes back sometimes." Her green eyes stared back out at the room, as if daring anyone to defy her.

"And they're doing all this to make sure their counterparts in this dimension don't end up like them," Sirius added. "And us. Think about it. If everything is going well, we won't all die before we're forty."

The five sat in silence a while longer. In the spring night, the fire wasn't entirely necessary, but it was welcome. More than one of the teenagers sitting in the large room felt some kind of chill as they contemplated their (hopefully) avoided deaths.

A sharp knock at the door brought their heads snapping around and their hearts racing before they recognized the figure entering as Mr. Potter.

"Hey kids. There's some good news. The Ministry has just raided a gathering of Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor- not much news yet on how they knew, but so far they've arrested more than three dozen." The excitement in his face made the others smile.

James cleared his throat harshly. "That's great, Dad. What about Voldemort? Did they get him too?"

Charlus shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know, son. I'll let you know if they do. I just have an old buddy at the Ministry who Floo called me a minute ago to let me know."

"Thanks, Mr. Potter," Lily said softly. "That- that takes a lot off our minds."

After he left, they were quiet for a minute more than burst into talk.

"That means it went well!"

"They did it!"

"But do you think they got him?"

"I'll bet it was Hermione's idea to call the Ministry in to clean up."

"You don't reckon that they'll be arrested as Death Eaters?"

"No, you wanker. They probably let Dumbledore know at the same time."

"No, you wanker. They're too smart for that."

"Oi! You lot are the wankers! I'm just concerned for them!"

"It must have worked! They wouldn't have called the Ministry of Bloody Fools in if they weren't already done at the Malfoys."

"Hush, all of you!" Lily finally said, clapping her hands together. "We don't know, yet. They'll prolly be coming back soon if that's the case. We'll have to wait and see."

* * *

The night deepened as Voldemort spoke cagily, throwing out details true and false as he tried to play for time. Harry provoked him into telling what happened with the other two children in the cave- and then wished he hadn't. Even as a child, Voldemort had been brutal and unrelenting.

Hermione plied him for information on Horcruxes, enraging him when she could cull the true facts from the lies he told.

In the end, he remained silent, only speaking as the poison made itself known, twisting and burning in his veins.

"Potter," he rasped, staring Harry in the eye. "If what you said is true, it is always supposed to come down to you and me. You and me. In a fight to the death."

"It was," Harry answered warily. "I killed you before and I am doing so know."

Voldemort coughed out a derisive laugh. "You aren't. Poison is a woman's weapon. Prove to me you're a man. Kill me with honor. Don't leave me to die of- of poison."

It dawned on Hermione instantly. "Don't do it, Harry," she warned in a voice barely stronger than a whisper. "Don't kill him with the curse. Don't give him what he wants."

Voldemort's head snapped toward her. "Don't presume to know what Lord Voldemort wants, you foolish girl!" he yelled.

"I know what you want," Hermione said, voice full of a quiet hate. "You want him to shred his soul over you. A final victory. You want to take away his goodness and make you a stain on his soul. You want to never be forgotten, to live on in the memory of the person who wants to forget you the most."

He chuckled, letting his head loll back on the back of the chair. "So _clever_, you think yourself to be, girl."

Hermione glared. "And you try and get to me by refusing to use my name. As if I'm not used to chauvinistic prats like you. Call me girl all you like, snake face."

A firm hand on her arm quieted her rage. "It's alright, Mione," Harry said in a strong voice, obviously having made some decision in his head. "If he doesn't want to die by poison, we can give him another way out."

"Kill me like a man, Harry Potter," called Voldemort, in a taunting, teasing manner. "Can you do it? Are you afraid to?"

Harry met his eyes. "It is not weakness to have fear," he said, some corner of his mind telling him how much like Dumbledore he sounded.

Apparently, Voldemort thought this two. "You sound like the goat fucker," he snarled. "Kill. Me. Like. A. Man."

Harry looked over at Hermione- she looked exhausted. He felt tired himself. It was time- time to end this. "Hermione, do you know a smothering spell? I don't want to get blood anywhere." He quickly silenced Voldemort before the man could protest.

Startled, Hermione looked up at him. "Yes," she said, "Harry, there is one. But are you sure you want to do this?"

"Last wish, I suppose," said Harry, shrugging. "It isn't hard. We're killing him anyway. And- I dunno. It feels like I need to be the one to do it, if we're doing it."

They stood, and Hermione wrapped her arms around him, holding him for a moment. "Alright, then. We can do that, my love."

She demonstrated the incantation, and the wand movements. "Opress_io_," she said finally. "Not _Op_ressio. The pronunciation is important. Swish, but instead of a twirl or a flick, a hard downward poking motion. Like so."

Harry tried it a few times, then nodded. "Okay. I've got it. Do you want to wait outside the tent?"

She desperately wanted to. "No," she said finally. "No. I'll stay with you."

"Thank you," Harry said, voice full of feeling. "Do you have the Portkey that will take his body to the Ministry?"

Hermione rummaged in her beaded bag, finally giving up with a sigh and summoning it. "Yes." She held the thick chain loosely in her hand, clearly ready to wait until Voldemort was dead before putting it on him.

Harry faced Voldemort. "Opressio," he incanted, welding his phoenix feather wand with precision. The rage in Voldemort's eyes increased terribly- he was facing death and no one had come to save him. No last chance to escape- no one there to stop him from dying. Severed from his magic and completely helpless, Voldemort was struggling in his bonds as the spell stopped him from drawing in any air.

Hand in hand, the couple watched, Hermione finally turning and burying her head in Harry's shoulder to avoid seeing his last moments. It seemed an age before he stilled and his bowels loosened- the smell jolted her in action and she did a quick cleaning spell on the body.

"Is he dead?" she asked, turning her face up to Harry, who looked strange and distant.

He didn't respond for a heartbeat, but then blinked and looked down at her. "I think he is," he answered, hand squeezing hers briefly. "Let me check."

With a few spells, they soon knew the answer. "Dead," Harry said, voice still sounding not-quite-right. "He's dead."

"Okay then," Hermione said, proud that her voice didn't waver (much). "Let's send the Ministry a present."

She laid the chain on Voldemort's lap, then stepped back, taking Harry's hand again. "And this is how the world ends," she said clearly. The Portkey activated, and he was gone.

"We should get back to the Potter's," Hermione said, putting her other hand on Harry's arm. "Harry, love? Are you alright?"

He looked down at her, then grabbed her hungrily, pressing his lips on hers. She kissed him back just as strongly- sometimes, she felt overwhelmed by her love for him and his love for her. He must feel that way as well, and if he wanted to show her, she was fine with that.

"I love you," he whispered harshly against her neck. "No one will ever be able to hurt you as long as I'm here."

Hermione kissed him sweetly. "I know, my love. I love you, too."

They kissed again, then separated. "We do need to get back," Harry said ruefully. "But then. Think about it. We can just enjoy the rest of our time here before we need to get back. Peace and quiet."

It took no time at all to break down the camp, a routine they had down many times before. It was second nature now, but while they usually talked and joked while doing all the little things that had to be done (taking down the tent, removing the wards, etc.) now they talked seriously.

"When we get back, we're going to have to get a house," said Hermione, a small smile on her face. "How many bedrooms?"

Harry laughed. "Depends on how soon we want to start with the babies. Do we want to take time and travel first? Or spend some time that's just the two of us being young and free? Or do we want to start a family as soon as possible?"

"What do you want?" Hermione asked, looking over her shoulder at him as she removed the wards. "I wouldn't mind doing some traveling now, although we could always do it when the kids are at Hogwarts, or even with them."

The last ward fell, and Hermione stepped back and took a breather. The ritual had taken a lot out of her, and she was feeling more drained than what was probably healthy. Instead of doing more, she just took a moment to watch Harry work, taking apart the tent by hand instead of with magic.

The forest was slowly lightening- it had been dark when they had brought Voldemort to the forest, and with the hours they spent with him, the sky was now changing from a dark purple to a lighter grey. Birds were already trilling their calls, and a light spring wind was rustling the leaves. It was peaceful.

So why wasn't Hermione feeling at peace. Something was wrong- she had yet to relax, and the hairs at the back of her neck were standing up. She couldn't quite place it, but something felt wrong. Bad. There was danger, somewhere.

She was debating whether or not to say something to Harry when she caught a humanoid shape moving between the trees along the periphery of where they had been protected by the wards. Heart beating far too fast, she crossed the short distance to Harry, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"We're being watched, love," she whispered in his ear when he bent down to her. "Behind me, now. And I think I see one or two behind you."

He nuzzled her neck. "What do you want to do?" he asked, breath hot on her neck.

"We could Apparate out," she proposed. "Or we could fight them. I could send out a very bright pulse of light and we could Stun them."

Harry pulled back, then nodded. "If anything happens, though, we need to leave right away," he said, eyes darkening. "We didn't make it this far to loose everything now."

"Close your eyes," she warned, closing her own. "Lumos Maximis!" Yelps of pain reached her ears, and she ducked as a few spells shot over her head. "Stupefy!" she shouted, "Stupefy!" She heard only one thump, and cursed quickly. Harry had gotten the one that was behind her, but she had no idea where the other one was, or how many there were.

"Humanis Revealio," she cast quietly, and her wand gave three pulses of light. Three more then. "There's the one I missed and two others," she told Harry quickly.

A bolt of sickly green light just missed her head. She ducked down again, then shot a Stunner in that direction, and was rewarded with the sound of another body falling to the ground. Behind her, Harry was casting Reductos into the forest.

A nasty looking Bone Breaker went ricocheting around, bouncing off the tree trunks in search of bone. She threw up an absorbent shield that caught it and vanished it.

"Accio Death Eater," she cast, pouring more magic that she usually did into it. She was getting tired, and wanted to end it. "Harry, Stun them!"

He followed her instructions, as five men in various degrees of consciousness flew toward them. "Finte," Hermione cast hastily, stopping them from crashing into her and Harry.

The two of them were breathing hard, and tired. "So he was right," Hermione said, panting. "They were coming to help him."

"How did they know we were here?" Harry asked, then coughed. "Damn. Do you have any water in your bag of wonders?"

She tossed it to him, then bound all the attackers. "Get one for me too?"

"Course, love," Harry replied, tossing her a water bottle then guzzling half of his. "What should we do with them?"

Hermione tapped her lips with her wand, eye hardening. "Send them to the Ministry and let them deal," she snapped. "Along with a note telling them exactly how they were captured and how to reach us if need be."

"Should we wake one up to interrogate him?" Harry asked, nudging one with his foot. "I want to know how they found us. Your wards are bloody brilliant."

"I want to know too," Hermione said, eyes narrowing dangerously. "They couldn't find us until I started lifting the wards, but they knew he was here. How?"

She chose the youngest one to wake, covering his eyes with a blindfold before she roused him. "What's your name?" she asked abruptly.

He spent some time struggling against the bonds, but when she sent a stinging jinx to his crotch, he yelped and answered. "Evian Rosier."

Harry joined in. "Why were you here?" When Rosier didn't answer, he chuckled darkly. "Best answer quickly or my wife will get bored with stinging jinxes and move on to the ones the grind and crunch."

"To find our Lord," he answered apprehensively. "He will find us and kill you both, blood traitors and Mudbloods and those who are against the cause-"

"How did you find out where we were keeping him?" Hermione demanded. "Tell me or I really will use some nastier spells." When he still refused to answer, she applied a low level grinding hex to his privates until he gave a high-pitched keening sound.

Still blinded, he turned his head toward her. "The Dark Lord is great and powerful," he rasped. "And above all, wise. When he is Side-Along Apparated anywhere, a select group of us receive an alert."

"Damn," Hermione cursed. "We should have thought about that."

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "We couldn't have known. That was why he was so sure someone would be coming for him."

Hermione poked Rosier with her wand. "The Dark Lord is dead," she told him. "We're sending you to the Ministry. Enjoy. Stupefy."

It wasn't difficult to make another Portkey, and before long the five Death Eaters were presumably landing in the Atrium.

"Back to the Potter's," Harry said decisively. "Let's go."

* * *

"It's over," Harry announced, a broad, if tired, grin spreading across his face.

"Tom Riddle is dead," Hermione finished, then yawned.

Immediately, Lily and Addie rushed to Hermione, hugging her tightly while James and Sirius pounced on Harry.

"Really," Hermione said, a bit breathless. "Why do they have to hit each other to make sure they're okay?"

Harry laughed from under the pile of Marauders. "It's a guy thing, I think, Mione," he said cheerfully. "Oi! You lot! Gerroff me!"

Shaking her head, Lily hugged him tightly. "I'm proud of you," she said seriously. "And I think that the other Lily, if she was alive, would be proud too."

"Same here, mate," James added. "Who wouldn't want to brag that their kid killed the most feared Dark Lord in a hundred years?"

Remus coughed- in the frenzy, he had gotten elbowed in the ribs. "So tell us what happened."

"Yeah- Mr. Potter was in here a bit ago to tell us about the freakout at the Ministry when they apprehended all those Death Eaters," said Sirius.

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. "Well, a dead Voldemort arrived at the Ministry a while ago," Harry said sheepishly. "I wonder how much they're freaking out now."

"And we sent some other Death Eaters we had some trouble with there as well," Hermione said with a shrug. "Oh well. Let them deal with it. I'm tired and I want to have a bath."

"Oi! You're not going to tell us what happened?" Sirius protested. "We've been waiting hours!"

Harry groaned. "We went to the party. The plan worked. We incapacitated Voldie. We went the Forest of Dean, sent the Ministry to Malfoy Manor, then waited for Voldemort to die."

"Then we had some problems with the rear guard," interrupted Hermione, yawning again. "More detail after we get some sleep, please?"

Lily intervened for them. "Sounds like a plan," she told everyone sternly. "We're all tired. Let's go to bed, everyone."

* * *

**So, right now, I'm very sad and worried and stressing. Some reviews to cheer me up would be nice. And hey- this story reached 200k+ words. Over years. So… yay! **

**On the plus side for you lot, if I don't make any friends I'll be spending more time writing. I'm worried about that- I'm a bit of a strange person. (Irrational hatred of the color orange, love snape/mione, and a bit of an elitist know-it-all. Some people don't like that) **

**I might be getting a new computer soon- the Google laptops, anyone know it they're good/bad? Let me know if you're good with the tech stuff.**

**Wish me luck, if you care. Review, please. Next chappie in a while. HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


	46. And So Life Begins Again

**Well, can I just say I love you all? The incredible reviews I received with advice, sympathy, and good wishes have made me incredibly happy. Thank you, to everyone. **

**School started for me and I was overwhelmed (uh… they have about 2000 more students than my old school did) and scared and alone. But things have gotten a bit better, I suppose. I've made a few friends. Ugh. I don't want to write about it. But thanks for wishing me luck. You people gave me some of the confidence I needed that first day. **

**And as a reward, I worked really hard to write this very fast and publish for you! Can I get a "Yay, Ausland!" from anyone?**

**This story is finally, finally drawing to a close. This chapter does jump around a bit, going to different places in time.**

* * *

The next day, the papers blared the news of Voldemort's downfall, complete with pictures of the Death Eaters being rounded up from Malfoy Manor and the still body of the Dark Lord himself.

Of course, not even the paper had the guts to actually print his name, even when he was dead.

The Mister for Magic, Millicent Bagnold, had refused to release any information at the time, other than saying that Voldemort was well and truly dead, and the terror was over.

James threw down the paper in disgust. "They're making it sound like they killed Voldemort," he grumbled.

Hermione just yawned. It was well into the afternoon, but they were just sitting down to eat 'breakfast.' "We really don't care," she pointed out. "We don't want the fame."

"We'll get enough of it when we get back home," Harry said with a groan, closing his eyes and leaning against his wife. "Can we run away somewhere, Mione? Go AWOL for a few years until everything calms down?"

She appraised him with raised eyebrows. "If you really want to," she said finally. "But we are taking our N.E.W.T's first. And we do need to see if the government needs sorting out before we leave England to their own messes."

"So you would just leave Wizarding Britian?" Remus asked. "Let them mess up again?"

Lily sighed. "It's flawed either way," she decided. "Look. If they leave right away, chances are the government will mess up again and a new Dark Lord will emerge in less than a decade. But it isn't really their job to sort out the government. Of course, while the defeat is still fresh, Harry can prolly use his influence to change a few things, put a good and trustworthy Minister in power."

"You have no idea exactly how powerful Harry is," Hermione added. "Like, the Minster came to where he was staying for Christmas to beg him to support the Ministry."

In a move that was a bit reminiscent of Ron, Sirius shook his head and said, "Blimey." Harry and Hermione looked at each other, a look that said, _Ron. _

This prompted Lily and James to do the same kind of look- except this one read _Harry and Hermione. _Sirius and Remus both noticed- they saw the kind of rapport that James and Lily were developing and it made them happy for their friends.

Harry clutched Hermione's hand under the table. "I suppose. But we have some time."

"True," Hermione conceded. "Although we do go back to school in a few days. And then we have our tests."

* * *

The first day back at school, the Marauders, Hermione, Lily, and Addie all squeezed themselves into Harry and Hermione's small sitting room.

Severus had not been on the train, worrying Hermione dreadfully. Other than a note from Dumbledore assuring them he would do all he could do, they hadn't heard from the Slytherin. But he had been present at dinner, giving them a small smile when they passed.

For Harry and Hermione, it was nice to be 'home' in a sense, and Harry had insisted on picking Hermione up and carrying her over the threshold in a ceremonial manner. The Gryffindors who hadn't attended the wedding had whooped and hollered, causing Hermione to blush bright red.

But now they were all settled in the small space, a tiny fire crackling more for comfort than for warmth. The single Marauders had been banished to the floor, while Harry and Hermione shared the love seat, and Sirius, Addie, James, and Lily occupied both ends of the sofa.

The room was quiet, far from the dim roar of the Common Room on the first night back. Instead, they talked quietly among themselves, or just read or stared at the fire.

Hermione had half expected not to ever see the little set of rooms again- she had realized it when a wave of happiness and surprise had shocked her mind. It was a home of a kind, her first home with Harry if you didn't count the tent.

Now his fingers played on the skin of her side, warm and calloused against her skin. She didn't think any of the others had noticed the hand he had under her shirt, as she pretended to read. All she could think about were those fingers and-

A sharp crack echoed through the room, and within an instant five wands were pointed at the poor house elf who had just Apparated into the room.

"Libby is sorry!" the house elf squeaked, cowering.

Hermione lowered her wand immediately. "I'm so sorry, Libby," she said, sliding off Harry's lap to crouch on the floor next to the creature. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Miss Miney," the house elf said, collecting herself. "Libby is okay. Yous surprised Libby, that's all."

Harry, heart still beating fast after the sudden adrenaline rush, chuckled weakly. "Geez. Sorry, Libby. You surprised us too."

Smoothing down her Hogwart's tea towel, Libby straightened importantly. "Libby has a message from Headmaster Dumbledore. He is wanting yous in his office now."

The words had an immediate affect- Harry's face darkened into a scowl and Hermione sighed. "We knew it would happen sooner or later," she reminded her husband.

"I thought he'd at least give us a night to settle back in," Harry grumbled. "Fine. Thank you, Libby, for delivering the message."

Hermione smiled at the house elf, who beamed back with the praise. "Yes, thanks, Libby. It's nice to have a good elf we can trust to take care of us at Hogwarts. Are you happy? Do you need anything?"

Libby shook her head furiously. "No! Libby is a happy elf. Libby has many, many children to take care of and Libby has the making of all the treacle tart in the kitchen! Libby is very happy, Miss Miney."

For his part, James laughed out loud. "Really? You make all the treacle tart? It's brilliant, Libby. That's my favorite."

"Mine too," Harry added. "Always my favorite dessert."

The elf's cheeks colored strangely, into what Hermione recognized as a blush. "Thank yous, Masters and Misses. Libby is going now." And with another sharp crack, she Disapparated.

Lily sat back with a wide grin on her face. "I love that elf," she said aloud. "Do you want us to leave?"

"No, stay," Hermione insisted. "We shouldn't be long." Even so, she rested a hand on Sirius and Remus in a silent goodnight before leaving the room. If Peter noticed he didn't get a smile or a pat, he said nothing.

The quiet walk up to Dumbledore's office was quiet, as it was nearly past curfew. Harry and Hermione walked hand in hand, conversing in quiet voices that still managed to echo through the corridors.

"Do you want to tell him everything?" Harry asked, swinging their joined hands gently. "Or just give the basics?"

Hermione considered for more than a minute. Harry let her think- he knew she was running through various possibilities and their consequences. Finally, she spoke. "I think we should tell him everything. We're leaving soon, and someone needs to know all this information. But I think we should make sure he knows we're not just telling him. The boys know, and Lily and Addie. And I think we should tell Severus too."

"If you think that's best, my love," replied Harry. "It does make sense- that way, a person in a position of a lot of power knows exactly what happened and can plan for future surprises, but we are also making sure he can't hoard all the information and keep it for himself."

Sometimes, the way he could follow, process, then simplify her reasoning couldn't help but make Hermione smile. "Exactly," she said, the small smug smirk on her face showing her pride in her Harry.

They stopped in front of the gargoyle a few minutes later- only to realize that Libby hadn't given them the password.

"Damn," Harry said, wondering if kicking the gargoyles would work.

The click of shoes on the flagstones made the couple turn. When Hermione saw who it was, she let go of Harry's hand and flew at him, squeezing the man tightly.

"Severus Snape, don't you ever scare me like that again," she said sternly, holding back tears. "Do you understand me?"

He hugged her back uncomfortably. "Yes, Hermione," he said, affecting a sigh at the end. "If you would release my person, I have a meeting with our… cherished Headmaster." The sarcasm dripping from his voice almost saved him from the smack on the arm he received from Hermione.

"Prat," she grumbled. "Are you okay? We tried to make sure that you would be alright."

Severus gave her his small, crooked smile. "I was fine, Hermione. Two nights in a comfy Ministry holding cell was nothing. The company left much to be desired, but…" he shrugged. "What can I say? Egotistic purebloods who know they've pretty much lost everything can hardly be called entertaining."

Harry walked over and clapped him on the back. "Dumbledore took care of you?" he asked, green eyes meeting dark.

"Yes," Severus said, nodding his head once. "But, with his usual theatrics, he got me off as cryptically as possible, only saying he had the 'utmost trust' in my reason for switching sides. If you don't mind, I'd like to get a few written statements with that reason so he can't revoke that trust at a later date."

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance. "I don't think he would do that," Hermione said with a frown, "But it never hurts to be careful. We can certainly do that for you."

Severus prodded her in the side. "Now move," he ordered, tone stern but eyes kind. When Hermione complied, he tugged her hair affectionately. "Thank you. Jelly Babies," he told the gargoyle.

Hermione giggled. "Anyone for a jelly baby?" she asked, waiting for them to get it. When neither of the boys reacted, she just sighed. "Never mind."

Shaking his head, Severus mounted the spiral staircase. "Are you coming?" he called, not looking back.

Harry, who had been a mite busy kissing Hermione's pout, jumped on the staircase, pulling Hermione with him. "Yep," he said, flushed. "We're right here."

Hermione could hear the smirk in Severus' voice when he spoke again. "Good. I was worried you would be so busy snogging you'd make Hermione late. Imagine what that would do to her reputation."

She couldn't help it- Hermione had to giggle behind her hand. "Sorry, my dear," she said, eyes sparkling. "But I find Severus' Harry humor quite funny."

"Glad someone does," grumbled Harry good-naturedly. "Go die, Severus."

The meeting in Dumbledore's office went well enough- as Harry and Hermione had promised, they kept it short.

The told the story together while the old man watched, voices clear and language simple and free of embellishment. Even so, both the Headmaster and Snape were drawn in, immensely curious as to what had happened. How two teenagers, working nearly alone, had brought down the greatest Dark Lord in thirty years.

When they finished, Dumbledore leaned back and closed his eyes. "Mr. and Mrs. Potter, I cannot stress how important it is that this story is contained, and only the four of us keep the knowledge of what happened that night. I find-"

"I'm afraid that is not possible, Headmaster," Hermione said, voice bland. "More people know already. While Harry and I have no intentions of going to the Daily Prophet with the story, we feel that silence is not the best option."

Severus caught immediately, and a subtle shift in the set of his face alerted Hermione to his approval. Dumbledore, on the other hand, lost the friendly sparkle in his bright blue eyes and the grandfatherly tone.

"That is a large risk to the safety of our society," he urged, a sliver of anger in his voice. "Should another Dark Lord rise-"

"Should another Dark Lord rise, more people will know how we defeated the last one," Harry interrupted. "Headmaster, in another time and place, I watched you die. That was horrible and tragic. But many people agreed that the tragedy of your death was not the loss of a mind as great as yours, or the loss of your companionship and guidance. We mourned your death so angrily because you were the only one who knew everything. We almost lost against the Dark Lord because you held information close to your chest and told no one everything."

Hermione met his eyes squarely. "We were so lost, Professor. I don't think you can understand completely, and that is something that you shouldn't regret. But as a result of holding back knowledge, three teenagers were forced on the run trying desperately to figure out the 'clues' another version of you left us. We were living in almost constant fear, we were hungry, and we had no idea what to do next. I nearly died. Harry did die."

In a smooth movement, Severus stood. "I am of opinion with Hermione on this issue," they spy told Dumbledore. "I find it distasteful to draw the comparison, but the Dark Lord had a similar mistrust of his followers."

The impact of those words clearly shook Dumbledore, who recognized a battle lost with a sigh of concession. "Very well, my children," he said, spreading his arms in a gesture of peace. "I will share details of this with the Order. And you are, of course, quite free to share the tale with whomsoever you please."

So on that note, the meeting ended well.

* * *

There was a certain kind of contentment in the simplicity of a return to the normalcy of classes, at least for Hermione. She loved school and she loved learning, and just the soothing balm of academia was enough to relax her after the stressful break.

Harry was happy to see her happy, staying at her side possessively. As much as they stayed friendly toward others, the students of Hogwarts could clearly see the couple retreating into their own companionship. The only exception were the Marauders- but even they could sense a change.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" asked Lily, a week into May. It was one of those rare days where the Marauders managed to drag Harry away from his wife and to the secret Marauder hideout. The sun was bright and shining, and Hermione and Lily were studying together under the tree by the lake.

The girl in question placed a finger in her book to hold her place then focused her gaze on Lily. "I suppose," she answered seriously. It didn't take her long to realize the absurdity of her answer, after which she cracked a wry grin. "Sorry, Lily. Yes and no, if that makes the answer any clearer."

She shook her head. "Nope. We have a lost redhead in Aisle 3."

Both girls laughed, startling a trio of first years. "Okay. I'll explain. Things are good here. Harry and I are happy and we have our place and friends and school. Riddle has been taken care of and we can relax."

"That's the 'yes,' right?" Lily clarified.

Hermione nodded. "Yes," she answered definitively. "That's the good part. But Harry and I are both worriers. We don't know what's going to happen on the twenty-first of June. Do we go back home? Do we stay here? Or do we end up in another alternate dimension and fight Voldemort all over again?"

"I hadn't thought about that," admitted Lily. "Dimensional hopping for the rest of your lives." She shuddered at the thought, even in the spring sunlight.

The look of pensive worry on Hermione's face made Lily's heart sink faster. "And I've been thinking about it too much."

"Why didn't you say anything about this before?" Lily asked quietly. "You've always seemed so confident that you and Harry would go back to your time."

Hermione shrugged. "It was that, or freak all of you out. I'm not even one hundred percent sure that Harry will come back at the same time I am. Or that the transport back won't kill us."

Instead of speaking more, Lily just hugged Hermione, resting her chin on the smaller girl's shoulder. "It'll be alright, Hermione," she said, hoping that what she said was true. "It'll be alright."

* * *

"Harry, I need your help with something." James was standing behind Harry, a look of contained worry on his face. They were the only two boys in the dorm- Hermione was having mandatory girl time with Lily and the other three Marauders were in detention.

It was a no-brainer for Harry. "Anything," Harry replied, turning his green eyes on his friend, father, and blood brother.

James grinned weakly. "I want to ask Lily to marry me. But I'm not exactly sure how to."

"And seeing as how I'm so successful with the ladies, you've come for my sage advice and unerring wisdom?" Harry asked with a grin. "Pathetic."

Glaring at him without an ounce of true anger, James huffed. "Oi! Potter! Uncalled for. I was just coming for a manly discussion-"

"It really isn't a problem, Prongs," Harry said quietly. "But I'm definitely the not best person to go to for advice."

James only shrugged. "Better than Moony and Padfoot. I actually used them as a sounding board to test my speech."

Harry winced. "Yeah, I guess I am better," he conceded. "How bad was it?"

"Bad," James said, pouting a bit with the memory. "Very bad. I think someone brought up Lily's perky breasts. And awkwardness."

Both boys burst into laughter. "Bad move," Harry said, still chuckling. "My first piece of advice- don't do anything but tell her how much you love her."

"That's helpful," James said, rolling his eyes. "Real helpful. Thanks, mate. I wouldn't have known to do that if you hadn't told me." They laughed again, and James had to wait until he had calmed sufficiently to ask a serious question. "Where did you do it? Propose, I mean?"

"Here," Harry answered, a slight fond smile appearing on his face. "In the Room of Requirement. We had gone there to talk about how we were planning to defeat Voldemort. And all of a sudden, I couldn't wait any longer. I just wanted her to know how much I loved her, and how willing I was to do anything for her."

James sighed again, and ran a hand through his already messy hair. "You're lucky. There was no doubt that Hermione would say yes. I wonder sometimes about Lily. She spent so long hating me-"

"To be fair, you were an 'arrogant toerag' if I remember Lily's phrasing correctly," Harry interjected. "But look at the two of you now. Sirius and Remus think that you two are getting to be as close as Hermione and I are."

In the moment of James' hesitation, Harry could tell that there was something more. Something his fellow marauder wasn't telling him. "What is it, James?" Harry asked. "What else?"

He hesitated for a moment more, and finally caved. "I've been thinking. What if the only reason Lily's stayed with me this long is because she thinks she has to? We have living proof that somewhere else, a Lily Evans and a James Potter married, had a son, and died. What if she thinks that she has to? Just in case she creates a paradox, or something."

Harry was completely floored. "Lily wouldn't do that," he said immediately. "But James, if you have any doubts, you need to talk with her about it. Not me, and not Hermione, but Lily herself. And if you have any doubts, you need to work them out with her too."

"I don't have any doubts about how much I love her," James said quietly. "Gods, Harry. I've loved her for years. I had a crush on her when we were younger, and when I got older and she got older I realized that I was head over heels and there could never be another woman for me. It was always Lily."

Harry clapped his father on the back. "Then what's the problem?" he asked, sure there was more.

"Do you ever have the feeling that you love Hermione more than she loves you? Or do you think that she loves you more than you love her?" James said stumbling over his words. "I know you and Hermione are the exact opposite of what I'm trying to communicate. It's just that sometimes- sometimes I wonder if I love Lily more than she loves me."

There was genuine worry in James' eyes, a worry that made Harry's heart clench. "I wondered, sometimes," Harry admitted. "Both. Relationships aren't perfect- sometimes both of you are happy and other times one is mad, or even both are mad. I remember Hermione telling me something about how most couples are only together because neither wants to get a divorce at the same time."

"That makes me feel better," James said, a touch of irritation in his tone. "Harry-"

"Hear me out," Harry ordered. "There were times when I was angry or feeling depressed and I wanted to push everyone out of my life, including the people I loved. And then there were times when I felt that I loved Hermione so much, it was impossible for anyone else to feel that amount of love. So, logically, she couldn't possibly love me as much as I love her. And then there are other times, when Hermione does something and I can see in her exactly how much she loves me and it scares me because I'm not sure I can give her all the love she needs."

Both James and Harry were quiet for a while, processing. "What I'm trying to say is that love is strange and great and more powerful than we know," Harry tried to finish. "It flows and it changes. But it is always there."

"But what you're really saying, under all this, is that I need to work my shit out with Lily and not treat you like my personal therapist and guide to the inner workings of the woman's mind," James said with a worn smile. "Geez. You're charging way too much for this, Doctor."

"Go," Harry said, pointing at the door of the dorm. "Shoo. Go find Lily and tell her you need to talk." He tossed a pillow at James, and when he ran out of his own, he wandlessly summoned the pillows from James' bed and then Peter's to attack the other boy.

One had a particularly successful landing- James was stuck in the face with fluffy down pillow. "Gah! I'm going! I'm going!"

"And if Hermione's with her, tell her to come up here," Harry added, returning the pillows to their proper places.

James gave him a two fingered salute, then left.

* * *

"It's a full moon tonight," Sirius announced in a low voice, making eye contact with all the Marauders. "Last one, my friends." The last one with Harry. The last one with Hermione there to brew the Wolfsbane.

Remus, who was looking worse for wear, grinned weakly. "Then let's make the most of it, shall we?"

Lily and Hermione immediately began to set rules. "No going outside of the boundaries of Hogwarts," Hermione instructed.

"And don't go too far into the Forbidden Forest," Lily added. "And be careful of the centaurs."

"And the nimplets," said Hermione. "And thestrals. They have wicked silver claws instead of hooves."

James and Sirius sighed as one. "Yes, mom," they intoned together.

Feeling Lily's sensitive temper, James leaned over and kissed her gently. "We'll be fine," he assured his girlfriend. "Don't worry, my love."

Addie frowned. "And don't do anything too silly," the Italian girl insisted. "You boys are awful when more than two of you are within ten meters of each other, and acting without thinking can be dangerous on a full moon."

"Yes, love," Sirius said, kissing her as well, and squeezing her hand under the table. "I promise to be careful and return myself in one piece."

Harry nodded, caressing Hermione's hand with his thumb. "Me too, Hermione. Don't give me that look. We've done so much that it would be a shame to get hurt for something as fun as a full moon." He stopped for a moment and thought. "Although, I don't have any scars from chasing a werewolf around yet. It's about time, don't you think?"

She debated smacking him, then just sighed and but her head on his shoulder. "Be careful," she instructed again. "We are all going to be worried."

Throughout the day, Remus grew antsier and the other Marauders became more and more excited. During lunch, Remus followed Hermione to the dungeons where she had been making his potion.

"You were right," he said, holding his nose and swallowing two large gulps. "It tastes _awful_." He shuddered, then took the last sip. "Gah!"

Hermione patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Moony," she said with a sigh. "I would work on improving the taste, but I'm not nearly good enough at potions to attempt it. I barely understand the theory behind the Wolfsbane- but give Severus a few years. I'll bet you he can come up with something."

Predictably, Remus started. "Severus Snape?" he asked incredulously. "As in the-"

"Man who will become the first Potions Master that England has seen in ten years? And then be the only Potions Master for at least another twenty? Yes, that Severus Snape. And if you stay on his good side, I'm sure you can convince him to work on the potion for you." Hermione planted her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, daring Remus to comment. "There. Now let's get some food in you."

Hours later, Peter had transformed and was scurrying along the base of the tree to press the knot used to pause the vicious branches. Quickly, the other four boys ducked into the tunnel, Sirius and James under one Invisibility Cloak and Harry under the other.

The tunnel was long and steep at some points- Harry was recalling with a kind of fond remembrance how much larger it had been when he was thirteen. Remus was first, then James, Sirius, him, and finally Peter. The Shrieking Shack was in a better condition than it had been in Harry's dimension, and definitely less dusty.

Harry took his now usual place on the sagging sofa, while the others spread out. Remus retreated to the bedroom to strip down to his underwear, in an attempt to minimize the damage to his clothing.

"The moon's rising," James said in a low voice. "We should change now."

He morphed into the majestic stag, and the other boys promptly followed his lead. It wasn't long before Remus howled in pain, and the sensitive hearing of the Animagi could hear his bones stretching and snapping. But when the overly large wolf bounded out of the room, his tongue was lolling out of his mouth in a happy wolf grin.

The full moon had begun.

* * *

"The moon is up," Lily said quietly, checking her watch. "According to the moon charts, it's well and fully risen."

Hermione looked out the window of her room. "Yes," she confirmed. "Which means the boys are probably running around or wreaking havoc on the house."

"Don't worry, Hermione," Addie said, resting a hand on Hermione's arm. "They've been doing this for years, apparently."

"I know," replied Hermione, smiling at Addie. "I know. What do you want to do while we wait for our boys?"

Lily held up the book she was studying from. "You can quiz me," she offered. "Actually, why don't we have Addie quiz us and make into a contest? Like a game show."

"Fine with me," Addie agreed. "Hermione, do you want to play?"

"Sure. I'll go see if Dorcas or Alice wants to join in. They need to study for transfiguration too." The two older girls had kept to themselves mostly, especially once Hermione, Lily, and the Marauders grew closer. But all the girls in the dorm were still friendly- Dorcas was as funny and mothering as ever and Alice was excited about her plans to join the Auror Academy.

There was only thirty days until Hermione and Harry would be (theoretically) leaving. Thirty days. And then this life would be left behind and they would be thrust into the life they had left behind. No more James and Lily, Sirius and Remus would be dead, and Peter would be a criminal. Dorcas was dead, Alice was insane, and those who still were alive wouldn't remember them.

"That's life," Hermione reminded herself sternly as she ascended the stairs. "My life anyway."

* * *

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, please stay after class," Professor McGonagall said in her sharp Scottish brogue. All the teachers still called Hermione by her maiden name- to avoid confusion, and to avoid bringing attention to the marriage.

Harry and Hermione did as asked, gathering their things and following Minerva to her office.

The Transfiguration professor took a seat behind her desk, clasping her hands with a sigh. "Professor Dumbledore has informed me that the two of you will be leaving in a few weeks," she began. "I would like to know if there is anything I or the other staff could do to make the transition easier."

Surprised and touched, the couple glanced at each other. "I can't think of anything," Hermione admitted. "But thank you. Thank you so much. That's- that's extraordinarily kind, Professor."

Harry agreed with her. "We might need some help keeping students off the grounds when we leave- we don't want anyone to see us disappearing. But other than that, nothing comes to mind at the moment."

Minerva nodded once, typically stoic in the face of emotion. "Very well, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter. Enjoy your last few weeks at Hogwarts, and know that there is always a home for you here, should you need it."

The passing period was over, so she wrote them a pass and sent them on their way with an offer of tea and ginger snaps at a later date.

The couple agreed to sit with their teacher for tea, and left the office to make their way to Astronomy. "That was… unexpected," Hermione said after a moment. "What did you think, Harry?"

"I think that it was Minerva McGonagall being herself and trying to help," Harry replied. "And I also think it was kind and generous. McGonagall to the core."

"It'll be hard to leave this place," Harry said after a short time lost in thought. "But we have so much to do back in our time."

Their hands swung in time with their steps, and Hermione just wanted to jump or skip or run. "We'll see Luna soon," she said happily. "And Neville and our Professors."

"We will," Harry repeated, bringing her hand up to his lips to kiss it. "We will."

* * *

**The End. **

**Just kidding. I wouldn't do that to you. A filler chapter, but a good one, I'd like to think. Leave me your reviews with praise and criticism. **

**To those who care, I have unpacked my entire room (!) but I (just me) have no furniture. So I need to go bed-table-desk-dresser shopping soon. Sigh. **

**And school is going alright for everything but physics- my new teacher made me take a quiz on my second day there (grr) on a unit I hadn't covered at my old school. I used the deepest recesses of my brain and my common sense and managed to pull off a 73. Which is still the lowest grade I've ever made in physics. So I was pretty upset- I wanted to start crying in class. Normally, my best friends and physics buddies would do something to cheer me up, and they weren't there. So I was even sadder. And when I tried to go to tutoring, the teacher told me that he simply didn't have the time and I would have to learn the chapters of the book all by myself. **

**I miss my people desperately- I think the worst part about moving is the isolation. I left behind my network of people, from the adults at my church who were the best ever to my school friends. **

**Enough of my moping. Leave me a review, and go read one of my other stories! **


	47. Leaving

**This is the last chapter. Next is an Epilogue, but for the story, this is really it. Wow. It's almost done. **

**I just want to say thank you to all of those who have stayed with this story from the very beginning. Happylady is one who comes to mind- she's always the first person to review. Gwen, my lovely, for sticking by and reading this for me. Everyone else who's reviewed or just read this and thought about it. **

**This is a **_**long**_** chapter. There are excerpts from other chapters in here, adding to the grand length. I think the word total (with hardly any margins) was about 14 pages. :) Enjoy.**

**And for (almost) the last time, I bid you read.**

* * *

"Today is the twentieth," Hermione said quietly, feeling desperately sad despite the strength of Harry's arms around her. Their room was dark in the early hours of the morning, the rising sun still behind the mountains. The warmth from their bodies was trapped under the heavy blankets, a requirement even in June.

Harry nuzzled sleepily into her neck. "I know, love." His voice was thick and heavy with sleep, as if he has swallowed a spoonful of honey.

Her eyes were open and staring at a small water stain on the wall, one that was barely visible in the low light. "I'm not looking forward to it as much as I was six months ago."

"It's alright, Mione," Harry said, voice still dark and husky. "What time is it?"

"Almost seven," Hermione said, rolling over in his arms so they were facing each other. "Do you want to get up, now?"

He kissed her slowly and sweetly. "I'd rather stay in bed a bit longer," he admitted. "You're warm." This early in the morning his voice was wonderfully relaxed and sleepy, and just knowing that only she would ever hear him like this made her feel more in love with him.

"So are you," she said, clutching at him tightly. "What if we get separated?" It seemed safer to speak about those awful nagging fears in the dark of early morning- then you could pretend it was all a dream in the light of day.

Harry's green eyes were sharp and serious when they focused on hers, weariness gone. "Know that if we are separated, I will never stop trying to find you," he told her, and she could hear his sincerity with every word. "I will move heaven and earth and time and space all to hold you in my arms."

She wanted to sob and she wanted to kiss him and she wanted to dance. So she settled for burying her face in his chest. "I love you," she said, the words muffled but understandable.

"I love you too," he whispered, kissing the top her head.

They stayed in bed, tangled in each other, until the sun rose properly and it was time to leave for breakfast.

* * *

Lily and James walked into the Great Hall hand in hand, both feeling terribly self-conscious. They theoretically knew that no one was staring at them, mainly because no one knew yet. Even so, the weight of the delicate ring on Lily's finger was achingly heavy and James felt as if his proposal was tattooed on his face.

As nonchalantly as they could, the couple slid into their normal places at the table across from Harry and Hermione. Instantly, Hermione's eyes narrowed and she considered the two of them. "Something is different," she said, focusing first on James, then Lily. "What happened?"

Harry glanced at her amusedly. "No, Hermione. First we say, 'Good morning, James. Good morning, Lily.' And then we can jump down their throats."

She waved his joke away with an impatient hand. "Morning, morning. What happened?"

"Well…" James said, dragging the word out with a drawl. "I might have-"

Lily cut him off. "He proposed, finally," she said, removing her left hand from her lap and putting on the table. "Took him long enough, don't you think?"

If Hermione was a normal girl she might have squealed; instead, she grinned broadly and squeezed Lily's hand when she picked it up to examine the ring. "That's great, Lils. The ring is beautiful."

"You can thank me for that," Sirius said with a cocky wink. "I helped choose it." He slung an arm around James. "How do you want to announce this to the world?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "The Hogwarts gossip mill," she said firmly. "I do not want the Great Hall decorated with wedding invitations or the West Wing of the castle converted into a giant 'Lily and James Potter' poster or something equally as ridiculous. That means no jokes, no spells, no hexes, no jinxes, and no pranks."

"Righto," Sirius said, standing up quickly. "OI!" he shouted, ignoring it when Lily punched his kneecap. Aside from a pained gasp, he soldiered on. "James here just proposed to Lily. CHEERS FOR LILY AND JAMES POTTER! WHOO!" A cheer echoed around the Great Hall, and conversation immediately increased in decibels.

Hermione and Harry laughed. "Well, the whole school knows now," Hermione said, patting Lily's arm. "No need for gossip to do all the work."

Lily just groaned, burying her head in her hands. "I'm going to kill you, Sirius," she threatened, kicking him under the table. "I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You."

"It's alright, darling," James said with a broad grin. "Now all those boys know they have no hope." Lily leaned against him and finally laughed.

"Congratulations," Harry said, nodding at Lily. "Glad the prat finally got his head out of his arse and proposed. Took him long enough to practice and write a script and rewrite it-"

James flushed red. "About that…" he mumbled. "I got down on one knee and my mind went blank." He shrugged. "I improvised."

"If you could call it that," said Lily fondly. "I believe someone mentioned the words 'perky' and 'awkward' at least twice each in the same sentence."

"Not. A. Word," James ordered, eyeing the Marauders. "I'm serious."

Sirius raised a hand. "Actually," he started. "I'm the only Sirus- Oi! What was that for?" With a quick spell Hermione had vanished the food off his plate.

"You know," Hermione said happily, unable to stop her laughter. "Better stock your plate again before all the food disappears. You have about three minutes."

* * *

As the N.E.W.T.'s grew closer and closer (They were due to start June 29), all classes had shifted from new material to constant review. Transfiguration was no exception- once again, they were going over the theory and practice of conjuring furniture from nothing but air.

Class was over with echos of fond memories- it was Harry and Hermione's last Transfiguration class. They lingered, putting their things away, waiting until the classroom emptied. In the weeks since Voldemort's death, the general mood of the seventh years had progressed from worried about family members dying to worried about passing their N.E.W.T.'s.

McGonagall noticed their reluctance to leave- she waved them over to her desk and they approached slowly.

"It's our last day," Hermione explained, turning her head to glance around the classroom with a small smile. "We'll be returning Saturday. Tomorrow."

McGonagall inclined her head. "I know. The Headmaster told me."

The trio were silent for a while, before Harry spoke. "It was an honor to be taught by you, Professor," said Harry. "An absolute honor." He offered his hand, and she shook it.

Hermione did the same. "I don't know if you've realized," she added wryly, "But Harry and I think very highly of you. Know that even as dimensions are crossed, Minerva McGonagall remains a woman to be admired."

To Hermione's surprise, the Transfigurations professor hugged Hermione suddenly. "Albus told me more about you than I think he should have. You are both brave, amazing, and honorable young people. I'm proud to have taught you these last few months."

"You've been teaching us for years," Harry said, regarding the teacher with careful eyes. "You've taught Hermione and I all the transfiguration we know."

That earned Harry a hug as well. "Goodbye, Mr. Potter," she said finally. "Miss Granger- sorry, dear. Mrs. Potter."

"Goodbye, Professor," Hermione said softly, echoed by Harry. "Thank you."

As they left for lunch, hand in hand, the couple remained silent, lost in their heads.

Charms was the same- almost. Flitwick didn't know as much about the circumstances of their departure as McGonagall had. Slughorn was sad to see Hermione go, but not overly so. He had Severus to apprentice, after all, and he was accustomed to seeing bright young people go. Hermione suspected he would have been more disappointed if he had known he couldn't use her or Harry for connections in the future.

Dinner was unusually large, with more variety than normal. The subtle nod from Dumbledore clued Hermione in as to why that was- he was giving them a Leaving Feast of their own.

The Marauders, Addie, and Lily were a bit quieter than normal, a bit sadder. They could feel the abrupt end of a friendship bearing down on them, and it lent the evening a melancholy feel.

After dinner, Peter left for the library (gobstones tournament) and the seven friends cloistered themselves in the Potters' rooms.

Hermione broke the silence with a frustrated sigh. "This is ridiculous," she told the room. "Quite frankly, I feel depressed just looking at the lot of you."

Everyone, Harry included, stared at her. She shrugged unapologetically. "Yes, we are leaving tomorrow. But it won't be for forever. You'll see us again, maybe. When you see a bushy haired little girl or boy leaving for Hogwarts. I'm certain that Dan and Emma Granger are going to have a child. You and James going to have kids too, prolly and-"

"They aren't going to be you and Harry," Lily said quietly. "Hermione, it's like you and Harry are going to die tomorrow. Vanish, into thin air, like you were never here."

"We were never supposed to be here," Harry pointed out dryly. "It was- how did you put it, love?"

"A statistical anomaly," supplied Hermione. "I'm not saying that we are not leaving, and you will probably never see this version of Harry and me again. I'm saying that we won't be gone forever."

Sirius snorted. "Like that makes us feel better," he quipped. "We're leaving, but don't worry. We'll be born again in a few years, sans all the good memories and arse kicking capabilities. Maybe."

Together they laughed, relieving the tension. "Right," Hermione said, still giggling. "That's pretty much it."

"Who knows?" Harry said, still grinning. He threw an arm around Hermione. "We might be bounce around dimensions for the rest of time and end up here again." The jovial tone of voice didn't bely the genuine worry behind the comment.

James and Lily looked at each other suddenly. "Imagine how strange it would have been, finding Hermione like this and not how she was," Lily mused, tapping a long finger against her lips. "Do you think we would still be friends? Or if she landed and wasn't unconscious and walked away?"

"We wouldn't have had time to talk with you in the Hospital Wing," James added.

Remus nodded, brow furrowing. "And then we wouldn't have met Hermione walking from the Hospital Wing."

"That was interesting," Hermione informed Harry. "These boys are hopeless flirts that'll chase anything in a skirt." She smiled at the memory.

_"Professor McGonagall merely tolerates you Padfoot. Believe me, everyone who knows you merely tolerates you. Now we are going up to our room, and we are going to quiz Prongs about this mysterious new student he and Lily rescued."_

_"Remus, do we have do? For all we know she really is just a transfer student."_

_"Wormtail! She appeared in a flash of light! She is not normal!"_

_"Yeah, Wormtail. She might be an alien or something!"_

_"Shut up Padfoot. She is not an alien."_

_"No, I am not an alien. Could you please tell me the password to Gryffindor tower?" Hermione smirked as she saw the faces of the three boys. One was small and pudgy, with beady eyes and a slightly elongated nose. The boy in the middle was aristocratically handsome and jovial, with shoulder length black hair and a large grin on his face. The last boy looked tired and old, brown hair and amber eyes peering out from a face that was etched with scars. As she laughed, the boys turned either a rather fetching shade of scarlet, (Peter and Sirius) or amusingly pale for a moment when they realized she had heard them talking about her. But Sirius laughed and leaned in close to whisper, "Ostentatious."_

_"Thank you. I think Professor Dumbledore forgot to give me the password," Hermione whispered back. Sirius chuckled and put an arm around her._

_"No problem, beautiful. What year are you in?" Hermione shook her head with the weirdness of it all. The heavy arm around her shoulders belonged to a man that had died more than two years ago. Having Sirius Black back and flirting with her was going to be a huge change. She really missed Harry..._

_"I'm in seventh. Do you know where Lily Evans is? I really need to get my schedule from her," said Hermione, deftly squirming out of Sirius' hold._

_"Uh... yeah. She should be up in her dorm right now," Sirius looked confused, then shook it off as soon as she went inside the portrait hole._

"You completely changed our lives, Hermione," Sirius said wryly. "I don't think any of us were the same after meeting you. And then Harry came and…" he shrugged. "I wonder what we would have been like if you hadn't arrived."

Hermione snickered. "Well… lemme see…" She pointed first at Lily, then James, Sirius, and Remus. "Dead, dead, Azkaban, and lonely."

"Brutal," commented Harry, shaking his head. "That's my girl."

"Brutal is too nice," Sirius said mournfully. "You should have been there when she broke the news to us. That was a shock to the system."

_"You're from another dimension. One that is twenty years in the future. Hermione, are you crazy?" Sirius was staring at Hermione in undisguised shock, with a wary glint in his eye._

_"No. You, Sirius Orion Black, are wrong. Do I need to prove it to you?" Hermione said frostily. She wasn't quite comfortable with the situation._

"_Yeah. That'd be nice," drawled Sirius sarcastically. "When you fail this test miserably we can just cart you off to St. Mungos."_

_Hermione just sighed, starting in a low voice that strengthened as she went on. "You have a Grim Animagus, you run around with a werewolf on full moons, you want a motorbike, and your mum blasted you off the family tapestry. You live at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. You have a demented house elf named Kreacher. Your bedroom is on the second floor, and is decorated with Gryffindor colors and muggle models."_

_She turned to face all of them. "I know plenty about each of you. I know when you will die, who you will marry, what job you have. But the sad part is, twenty years in the future, only one of you is still alive."_

_She was met with four dumbfounded expressions. Peter was the first to speak. "Am I dead?"_

_She thought for a moment. "I'm pretty sure you're dead by now. You have some very powerful people who have major grudges against you."_

_Sirius looked at her, frightened. "What about me?"_

_Hermione got tears in her eyes for a second. "I saw you die in my fifth year at Hogwarts. Your death impacted my life and the lives of my best friends a lot."_

_Remus looked thoughtful. "So I'm guessing I'm dead?"_

_Hermione chuckled grimly. "As far as I know, not yet. But it is a very distinct possibility."_

_James looked at Lily, then Hermione. "Lily and I?"_

_She nodded. "Yes. Your orphaned son is my best friend."_

_"You're gonna make me godfather for the Prongslet, aren't you James?" Sirius asked with a strained grin._

_James grinned back. "Of course. Who else would teach him to play pranks and hate Slytherins?" Remus and Peter made an elaborate show of shunning the two of them. "Aww, Moony. You guys will be Uncles. You lot can spoil him rotten."_

_Hermione shook her head. "That never happened in my timeline. Sirus was sent to Azkaban, Peter was presumed dead for thirteen years, and Remus was not allowed to contact Harry. Your son was sent to Lily's sister, who abused him. Until Harry had to go to school, he thought his name was 'boy.' He slept in the closet under the stairs until he went to Hogwarts. Petunia was scared Dumbledore would punish her if he saw Harry's living conditions, so she gave him her son's second bedroom, with the newly added additions of locks, a cat door for food, and bars on the window."_

_Lily started to cry softly into James' shoulder. "The last time I had a civil conversation with my sister was in 1970. She always hated me after I got my Hogwarts letter."_

_James patted her back to console her. "That should have never happened. In our wills we would have given-" he looked at Hermione, "Harry was it?" she nodded. "We would have given Harry to Frank and Alice, or to Andy and Ted."_

_Hermione cut in. "You did. Dumbledore bypassed your wills to make sure Harry was with the Dursleys. Anyway, Frank and Alice were tortured into insanity the day after you were killed."_

_Peter was ashen. "What can we do to prevent this? Why are you telling us this?"_

_Hermione had a determined glint in her eye, a stubborn set to her chin. "Because. I want to change the timeline, and make sure you are all there for Harry's eleventh birthday."_

"Speaking of shocks to the system," said Harry, poking Hermione in the side. "She was didn't sugar coat anything when she told me what needed to be done here."

Hermione blushed and poked him back. "Granted, you did just kiss me. I was in shock myself."

_Harry looked a little stunned. "Okay. What do I need to know?"_

_Hermione blushed a bit. "Well, we are refugees. Try not to show how well you know Hogwarts. Try not to react too violently when you see people who are dead. Some of the teachers are the same, but don't be cheeky with them because they don't know you, so they won't take it well. Right now, I have a tutoring session for some students, most of whom are future Death Eaters. I've been trying to build good relationships with future Death Eaters to get them to not become Death Eaters. So far, two people who will not be Death Eaters are Peter and Snape. Well, Snape is going to spy. He's working with Dumbledore to get Occlumency lessons."_

_Harry looked angry. "You've been friendly with Snape?" After all he had learned today, he still could not find it in his heart to feel any sympathy for the man who had hated him and his father._

_She sighed. "Yes, Harry. Right now, he's not the bitter, evil, git who heard the prophecy. He's a nice boy who is a little lost but wants to do the right thing. Sev is going through a lot right now, Harry. Did you know he and your mother used to be good friends?"_

_Harry nodded. That had been one of the smaller revelations of the past twenty-four hours. The biggest was that Hermione loved him, which was closely followed by learning he was a Horcrux. "Yeah. I learned a lot about Snape. He really loved my mother."_

_Hermione nodded. "I know. He's gotten over her, well, at least a bit. So be nice to all Slytherins. And maybe you could help with the tutoring?"_

"Two hours in and you were already roping me into helping you with your various projects," Harry said affectionately, tweaking her nose. "If we do end up somewhere like here, what do you want to do again?"

Hermione cast a glance around the room. "What do you guys think about what we've done? The tutoring program for the possible Death Eaters, the hunting down of all the Horcruxes, taking out Voldemort?"

Sensing the opportunity for a joke, Sirius sat up so they could see his face as he spoke. "No, Hermione. We don't want you to kill Voldemort and make sure all of us stay alive. I'd rather be in Azkaban, and Lily would most definitely prefer death over life with James," he deadpanned.

Addie slapped the back of Sirius' head gently. "Ignore the buffoon," she instructed the group. "Personally, I wouldn't mind if my other dimensional counterpart is rescued from Bellatrix."

Harry and Hermione gave her identical reproving stares. "That wasn't even a question," Hermione told the Italian girl tartly. "That is the first thing we do if we end up somewhere else."

"And if we get back home, we are going to look for you," Harry said, mind already made up. "We are going to question and threaten and bribe everyone and anyone who might have any information about you. And we are going to make sure we know what happened to you."

Hermione squeezed Harry's hand, taking as much comfort from the gesture as Harry was receiving. It had been bad for her knowing Addie was there, remembering what it was like to be Bellatrix's captive. Harry, once he had grown to know Addie, felt just as protective when he thought about it. It had been unspoken, but firmly agreed upon that they would seek out Addie once they returned. They knew the odds- they were most likely going to be searching for an unmarked grave. But they would search.

_Harry and Hermione left, Hermione giving an irritated sigh at the way Dumbledore felt he had to control everything. She had stopped crying, but as soon as they were back in their rooms she broke down again. She ripped out the diary, throwing it on the table._

_"Harry. You should have seen her face when I told her who I really was. She looked like this was the first hope she had seen in years." Hermione sobbed on to his chest. "I told her that we would come back for her."_

_Harry looked at his fiancée, aghast. "Hermione! How are we going to get her out of Malfoy Manor? The protections on that place are almost as good as the ones on Hogwarts!"_

_Hermione shook her head, cheering up enough to grin. "I spotted a hole in the wards. If she waits down by the kitchens, with the house elves, then we could manipulate her magical signature to transport her into the Room of Requirement."_

_Harry sighed. "I want to rescue her as much as you do, Hermione. But what if we are seen?"_

_"Glamours," Hermione suggested. "That way, if they do see us, they will not know who we are."_

Addie snuggled into Sirius' side, his previous 'joke' forgiven. "Thank you." There was quiet gratitude in her voice.

"So rescue Addie," Hermione ticked off on her fingers. "Break the news to you lot, again. _Gently_." The last word was directed at Sirius, who rolled his eyes and made a face at her.

Lily swatted him, making him yelp. "Didn't your mother ever tell that your face will freeze that way if you hold it long enough?" she teased.

"My dear old ma was a beast and she never hit me as much as you do," Sirius grumbled. "Women. Always feel like they need to smack a poor lad. Always black and blue 'cause of you ladies, that's me."

"Poor boy," Addie crooned. "I'll kiss it better if you wipe that pout off your face." She tickled him under the chin, making the older Gryffindor smile.

"Really?" he asked, grinning at her.

Addie smirked. "Nope," she said, pinching him lightly. "Black and blue are my favorite colors!"

Everyone laughed, even Sirius, who kissed Addie anyway.

The friendliness of the jokes and laughter in the room made Hermione's smile dim slightly. She would miss this- the joking around and teasing and just the closeness of the group. She could go to Lily when she needed help with girl problems or school problems or just with life. Addie was there to talk to about Bellatrix or for a break from her day to day problems- there was something refreshing and cheering about her goodwill and outlook on life after everything she went through.

Sirius and James were there to make her laugh- and to remind her that there was friendship that could turn water to blood. Sirius was a constant reminder that there was something to the whole 'environment over genetics' debate. Always strong and firm and kind, James was nearly as reassuring and protective of Harry. Gentle Remus was soft spoken and generous and accepting of everyone.

They were her friends and she didn't want to leave them. Yes, Hermione wanted to get back to where she was supposed to be. In the past few weeks the sense of being where she didn't belong had been growing stronger. She would desperately miss these people.

Apparently, Harry was feeling the same thing. He bent down and pressed his lips to the top of her head. She ran her thumb over the skin of his hand in a soft caress, returning the gesture.

"Back to business," Lily said, once the hilarity had died down. "You want to rescue Addie. What else?"

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. "If you don't want to go up against Voldemort again, we can always just give the information to Dumbledore and a few other people," Hermione reminded her husband. "We don't have to be the superheroes all the time. As long as we make sure Dumbledore isn't the only one who knows, he can't play his cards close to his chest."

Harry shrugged. "We'll see that when we get there. We don't even know if we'll end up in another dimension. We could just be going back home."

"I hope so," Hermione said fervently. "We need to find my parents and give them back their memories. And we might need to sort out the Ministry. It's quite likely the _lovely _system of government that is ours is in a state of barely reigned in chaos."

The clock above the mantle rang out the hour- curfew. "It's time for us to go," Addie said quietly.

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other. "I'm sure McGonagall wouldn't mind us breaking the rules for once," Harry said. "Stay."

"Prongs and I can nip down to the kitchens and get some food," Sirius suggested. "Do you have the map, Moony?"

Remus fished in his pocket for a moment before withdrawing the crumpled piece of parchment. "Yep," he said, tossing it. "Get some cream puffs."

"And some chocolate biscuits," instructed Hermione. "Take the cloak with you." She Summoned Harry's from their bedroom, handing it to James.

The boys were back within a half hour, and the seven friends sat down to eat and talk the night away.

* * *

The twenty-first of June, the summer solstice, dawned bright and dewy with a blushing sun and bird calls. Hermione noticed the beauty of the day with a brief thought about symbolism and irony, then dismissed it as the musing of a fanciful mind. She and Harry were walking to the Room of Requirement, where they would meet Severus.

When they arrived the door to the room was already there, dark wood and heavy iron locks speaking to Severus' state of mind. It opened easily enough for them, but Harry had no doubt that anyone else would have lost a few fingers, or something equally as awful.

There was a tea set on a low table, steaming softly. Severus was reading with a book propped up on a folded knee, balancing a plate of cookies on the other. His gangly form was contorted to fit on a chair; in all, he looked rather ridiculous.

The thought of never seeing him like this again made Hermione's heart clench. She loved Severus dearly. He had been so angry, so lost- and now he had purpose again.

"Hey," Hermione said in a quiet voice, drawing the Slytherin's attention. He started violently and upset the plate of cookies and the tea, scowling when they hit the floor.

Harry chuckled, then sat across from Severus and helped himself and Hermione to some of the tea. "Morning."

"Bloody good morning to you too," Severus snarled good naturedly, placing the book out of harm's way and Vanishing the mess.

Hermione sat daintily and accepted the tea Harry and prepared for her. "Language," she reprimanded, then took a sip. "Mmm. Good tea. Which kind is it, Sev?"

The spy shrugged. "I just told the house elves I didn't want any of the poison they gave me last time and they turned up with this. I thought it quite pleasant myself."

The conversation turned to inane things for a while, both parties dancing around why they were really there. But as early morning changed into nearly-lunch, the tea was finished and unimportant subjects were as well.

"You're leaving today?" Severus asked finally, setting down his empty cup with a sigh.

Harry nodded. "As far as we've been able to tell, yes."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Are you going to be okay, Severus?"

"I should be," Severus replied in his normal silky voice. "The Dark Lord is gone and I'm free. I'll have this mark for the rest of my life, but it's a small price to pay for getting rid of a tyrannical despot."

Hermione couldn't help herself- normally strong in the face of things like this, she began crying softly. "Come over here," she ordered the Slytherin, standing.

Uncomfortably, Severus did as she asked, wincing when she flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly. With a quiet sigh, he hugged her back as she cried onto his robes.

"It's okay, Hermione," he soothed, looking helplessly at Harry. The Gryffindor frowned and shrugged, running a hand through his already messy hair. "I'll be fine. I have an apprenticeship lined up with Slughorn, and once I get my Mastery I can brew and invent to my heart's content."

She just squeezed his bony frame tighter. "Promise me you'll never come here to teach unless absolutely necessary," she asked, sniffling.

"I promise," Severus swore, with emotion in his voice. "Surrounded, day in and day out with dunderheads incapable of finding their own arse with a guidebook and three weeks' worth of food- no thank you. I'll stick to private brewing and developing my own potions."

She gave a watery chuckle and released him. "You'd best take excellent care of yourself, Severus Snape," she said, poking him in the chest with a stiff finger. "I've invested too much time and effort into you to have you do something silly and hurt yourself."

"I will, Hermione," Snape said in his 'I've suffered this long enough' voice. "I can take care of myself, you know."

She scowled at him. "No, I don't."

Harry stood, and walked over the pair. "Severus will be fine," he told Hermione, Conjuring a wet handkerchief with which to wipe her face.

"I will be fine," Severus repeated. "But I will be sorry to see you go. Both you."

His dark eyes met Harry's green ones, both remembering a day that seemed far too long ago.

_"I hate you, you know."_

_"Yeah. I know."_

_The two boys stared at each other from across the small room the semi-sentient castle had provided them with. One was tall- fierce and war-hardened with dispassionate green eyes and a scar over his eyebrow. The other was lanky and slouching, with slightly greasy black hair swinging forward to cover a pale face and burning eyes._

_For all their differences, they looked almost comically similar, mirroring the other's pose. They just regarded each other, not making any other move, arms crossed over their chests._

_"I love her."_

_"I know that, too."_

_"Does she?" The question was asked with a mixture of painful emotions. Harry Potter would have to choose his answer carefully. If he said no, it would give him hope, hope that would only hurt. If he said yes, it implied that Hermione cared nothing for Severus._

_"She's unsure. She loves you in a way, you know."_

_"I know." Severus was silent for a few more moments, eyes closed as he digested information. "But it isn't the way I would want."_

_"It hurts."_

_"Hell, yeah." Severus raised his head somewhat, allowing Harry to see his face. Those eyes were not yet defeated a strange expression for the dimensional traveler. "How the hell would you know?"_

_"Because." Although he truly meant to leave it at that, the twinge Harry felt at the boy's pain was far too strong to just ignore. "I was there for years."_

_He could see the confusion on the Slytherin's face. "Hermione's been in love with you for years."_

_"Like I knew that," Harry said with a snort. "I thought she fancied my best friend."_

_Severus nodded silently, jaw working steadily as he worked out what to say. "Potter?"_

_"Yeah." He could see Snape's hesitation in the flicking of his eyes and the sudden youthfulness of his face._

_Those dark eyes that had so frightened and enraged him as a schoolboy were burning into his, asking only for the small, vital favor only he could grant._

_"If you weren't in the picture, could she have fallen in love with me?" The need to know was leaching through to Snape's voice. He winced- Severus Snape hated being seen as anything but strong. If sarcasm and snide remarks were needed to prevent people from seeing weakness, so be it._

_Harry gave the question thought. What did Hermione want in a man? In a husband? In a lover?_

_Hermione Granger was beautiful, intelligent, and his best friend. She was caring and clever, fighting for justice no matter the cost. She was resourceful and logical, able to solve any fix he had ever gotten into. She had too much faith in authority, she could get overconfident, and she hated being proven wrong._

_She had fallen for him. She apparently liked men who were strong and brave and Severus Snape was both of those. He knew that Snape was smart and cunning- he was a Slytherin. As for looks, Hermione didn't seem to care much for those. Viktor Krum was an example; he had a nose very similar to Severus'. Severus was polite, and could be scathingly funny._

_"I think so." Harry gave Snape a hard look. "But I am in the picture. And I love her more than-"_

_"Life itself," Severus finished with a sarcastic roll of his eyes. "Sentimental Gryffindor shite."_

_"Pretty much, yeah," Harry replied sheepishly. "Sentimental Gryffindor shite." But he did love her with all his heart. More than life itself._

"I don't hate you anymore," Severus told Harry, eyes still fixed on the older boy's.

Harry smiled. "Good," he said, offering Severus a hand. "It's been an honor. Not many could do what you did for us. You had no good reason, and you did this anyway."

Severus shook his head once, long hair swinging into his face. "You're wrong. I had a very good reason. Hermione. Lily. The difference between a man like the Dark Lord and a man like you." Clearly embarrassed, Severus shook Harry's hand briefly.

"Will you come by later to see us off?" Hermione asked, hugging Severus again. "James and Sirius are going to be there. Lily, too. We'd understand if you'd rather not."

There was a moment of hesitation on Severus' part, but he just squeezed Hermione tighter. "Sure. I'll be there."

* * *

Even in Scotland the summers were warm. The stars were visible in the unbelievably clear night rising above the trees of the Forbidden Forest. The June air was pleasantly warm, and the breeze blowing off the lake ruffled Hermione's curls and blew the long straight hair of Lily and Addie out around them.

Harry and Hermione had dressed cautiously, unsure of where they would end up. Long-sleeved shirts, black for Harry and a pale lilac for Hermione. They wore loose-fitting robes over jeans, making for easy movement. Hermione had her backpack slung over one shoulder, and Harry had another, about the same size. All of their possessions were inside the back packs- Hermione sincerely hoped they would be transported with them. Her backpack had followed her, so she was reasonable sure it would also work this time.

Hermione checked her watch again, noting the time. They had five minutes. "It's almost time," she said, the noise from the crickets and owls almost covering her voice.

Face drawn, Lily hugged Hermione tightly. "You are like a sister to me," Lily whispered. "I wish you could be here when I marry James."

"I'll be there in spirit," Hermione whispered back. "Take care of yourself, and James. You're like a sister to me too."

The two girls held each other tightly, and Lily moved on to Harry.

"You and Hermione have something special," Lily told him. "Don't mess it up. I know you aren't actually my son, but speaking as your kind-of mother, I'm proud of you. I love you and Hermione. If your mother was like me at all, she would be so proud of you."

Harry pressed a kiss to the top of Lily's head. "Be happy," he said gruffly. "James will make you happy. Thank you."

James had finished messing Hermione's curls, and now he unashamedly grabbed Harry. "I would be proud to call you son," he said in a low voice.

"And I would be proud to call you father," Harry responded, releasing James.

Sirius was squishing Hermione with the force of his hug. "Be good, Hermione. Know that we'll be thinking of you."

"Help Addie," pleaded Hermione, blinking back tears. "She'll need you."

Addie was crying openly. "I'll miss you, Hermione," she sobbed, clinging to the older girl. "I don't-"

"It's okay, Addie," Hermione said, struggling to hold back her tears. "You have Sirius. He'll take care of you." She passed a crying Adelynne to Sirius, who embraced her gently.

Remus was solid and brotherly when he took his turn with Hermione. "You accepted me," he said, voice a rumble in his chest. "I won't forget that, Hermione. And you helped me with my- my furry little problem."

"It was no trouble at all, Remus," Hermione said, a bit brokenly. "Don't worry. You'll find someone someday, and until then you have your friends." She squeezed him tight around his middle.

Severus was standing uncomfortably on the side- Hermione went and stood in front of him. He didn't like touching in front of other people- she knew that she would make him uneasy if she hugged him.

"Be careful," she said, wrapping her arms around her middle. "Watch out for yourself. Take the world by storm."

He quirked a smile at her. "You too, Hermione. I'll keep an ear to the ground and see if a Hermione Granger arrives in the Wizarding World in twenty years time."

"You do that," she said, blinking fast. "Goodbye, Severus."

He looked like he was steeling himself. "Goodbye, Hermione," he said gravely, then bent down swiftly to place a kiss on her cheek. He turned on his heel before she could see his blush, and stalked away. Hermione touched her cheek and smiled to herself. There was hope for Severus. One day, he would be happy.

The Marauders- Peter included- had formed a circle. "The brotherhood forever, right, Prongs?" Sirius said, injecting false bravado into his voice. "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Shadowfang, and Prongs."

"Blood brothers and friends," James responded, slinging an arm around Harry's shoulders, while Sirius did the same on his other side.

Remus grinned, a bit feral in the light of the growing moon. "We'll never forget our full moon adventures."

"What adventures they were," Peter said, shaking his head. "It was great having you with us, 'Fang."

"And it was more than I had dreamed being here," Harry finished, feeling a sense of sadness come over him. An era was over. For him, the Maruaders would be only memories. "It was good, mates."

Hermione walked over, drawing her wand even as she glanced at her watch. "It's time, Harry," she called, moving to stand by the lake. "Here, Lily?"

The redhead nodded, grabbing James and holding on to him. "Yeah."

Harry had moved to stand with Hermione. "On to the next great adventure," he said with a grin. "Who knows. Maybe we'll see each other again someday."

A kind of glowing golden light had begun to form around the couple, pulsing brighter and brighter until the watching teenagers were forced to avert their eyes. When they could look again, Harry and Hermione were gone.

* * *

**And so they are gone.**

**I won't be doing a sequel- an Epilogue is all I can promise. I have a few other fics in the works- and an original story I'll be working on. **

**BIG: Do you want Harry and Hermione to end up home, or in another dimension? People have expressed opinions. I have an idea of how this epilogue is going to go- but is it totally predicable? Let me know what you are expecting and I'll see if I have to mix it up a bit. **

**Thank you also to everyone who has given me advice about moving and learning. (Lol- so many of you think I'm in college. No, people. I'm just your everyday high school kid. Whoo for American public schools.) Reading your reviews makes me feel loads better. **

**Last chapter will be up in a while- I have a feeling I'm going to start it soon. Let me know what you thought about this chapter. :)**

**Please Review! **


	48. Epilogue

**The last chapter. The epilogue. My finale. **

**It is almost over- this last one and you are done. **

**Thank you for making it in this far. Thank you for all your reviews, advice, and encouragement. **

**This epilogue winds through many years, and two different dimensions. It's not all happiness and joy- there's that, but there is also a dose of tears and sadness. It may be a bit confusing, but you should be able to figure it out. I have faith, my worthy readers.**

* * *

The shock of landing rippled up through her legs with a painful thrum, but at least she was upright this time. Her body had snapped into place, and with a surge of hope Hermione registered the feeling of rightness that had been missing over the past months.

Holding back a groan, Hermione opened her eyes cautiously, then shut them again. It was bright and sunny- terribly bright on her poor eyes.

Slowly she was becoming aware of voices around her- whatever else it may be, dimensional travel was not easy on the body. Her head was pounding horribly.

"Is it her? What should we do?"

"It could be an imposter, Mr. Weasley-"

"But it's been months!"

"We just have to ask her something-"

"I can do it, we've had loads of times when it's just been me and Harry and Hermione."

Hermione covered her eyes and groaned. "I'll answer what you want, just give me a moment to settle," she rasped.

Her eyes had finally adjusted to the light- she blinked owlishly and looked around. She was on the grounds of Hogwarts- the horribly ravaged grounds. And surrounding her, wands up, were Ron, Ginny, Professor McGonagall, Neville, and Luna.

Now she was suddenly blinking back tears- the faces so familiar and yet so distant in her memory. "Hello, you lot," she said, smiling. "Okay- verify my identity so I can hug you."

Ron had a determined look on his face. "When I came back to the tent. You said something to me where Harry couldn't hear. What was it?"

Hermione nodded. "I told you that if you ever did anything that cowardly and selfishly again, I wouldn't wait for someone else to get to you, I'd kill you myself."

Obviously, Ron wasn't expecting her to know the answer. He flushed, earning a harsh glance from Professor McGonagall. "Miss Granger. What did I give you in your third year at Hogwarts?"

"A Time Turner," Hermione answered easily. "And I gave it back at the end of the year because I dropped Divination and Muggle Studies, and because I was just worn out." She hesitated, then continued. "I cried in your office because for the first time I was confronted with something I couldn't handle."

Smiling dreamily, Luna lowered her wand. "It's her, Professor," she said in her airy voice. "Nargles never lie. It's nice to see you again, Hermione." By her side, Neville grinned at her.

"I agree with Luna," Professor McGonagall said primly. "Come here, dear."

The old Scottish woman held Hermione in her arms. "We thought you were dead, Hermione Granger. Tortured to death."

"I almost was," Hermione whispered, holding back the tears. "So close. Harry rescued me, in a way."

"Harry? Is he- is he here? He disappeared-" Ron struggled to say.

Hermione stepped back from her mentor. "It was Voldemort. He cast something on Harry and I- I was sent to an alternate dimension, but the Horcrux in Harry kept him here until it was destroyed- it really is a long story."

And she would have plenty of time to tell it.

* * *

Hermione managed not to break down until she was alone.

Being alone took several days, days that she was surrounded by people who weren't Harry. People who couldn't see how much pain she was in, how alone she felt, how much she ached from missing him.

And now she was alone, sobbing into a borrowed pillow in a borrowed room in Hogwarts. Whimpering, because she was crying and Harry wasn't there to make it all better.

They had tried, so, so hard to hold on to each other. She had bruises on her hand from where Harry's fingers had squeezed impossibly hard to hold on to her. But the wind of wherever they had been had pulled them apart.

"Harry," she wept. "Oh Harry."

* * *

"I think she's gone barmy," Ron whispered to his sister. "She waits there every day."

Ginny tossed her long red hair over her shoulder. "You're just now realizing this?" she snapped. "Merlin, Ron. She came back with a wacky story of dimensional travel and killing Voldemort with Harry _again_ and meeting Lily and James. And there is something she isn't tell us. I can feel it. There is something she isn't telling us about Harry."

The siblings watched Hermione, who sat under the tree by the lake. Day after day, she sat there. Some days she read, others she simply sat and waited. She would wait there until long past dark, and she would be there early in the morning before the sun rose.

"She isn't barmy, Ronald," Luna said, coming up behind them, pulling Neville along with her. "Tell them, Neville."

The large man shrugged. "I trust Luna. I know something isn't right with Hermione. I think she's lovesick."

Ron's eyes bugged out. "Lovesick?"

"You didn't notice, Ronald? Look at her left hand next time you see her. She fell in love in wherever she was and she misses that person." Luna blinked and looked at her unadorned wrist. "Oh, look at the time. I'm going to go bring Hermione lunch."

* * *

"Are you going to tell us who you married, Hermione?" The summer breeze was light, and the night was quiet. Hermione had been there for three weeks.

Hermione's head shot up, her deep brown eyes meeting Ginny's. "I beg your pardon?"

Ginny crossed her arms. "You are wearing both a wedding ring and an engagement ring, Hermione. Fess up."

She didn't want to tell anyone about her and Harry. She needed him there with her when they told everyone. It didn't seem right to say it without Harry.

"I have to wait," Hermione said, turning away from the redhead. "Ginny, you can't understand. I'm waiting for someone."

"You mean you're waiting for Harry." Ginny's eyes flashed dangerously. "Hermione, you can't do this. Harry is _mine._ Tell me what happened to him!"

Hermione scrambled to her feet, eyes wide and focused on something behind Ginny. "How long have I been here?" she asked, voice breathy. "Gin, how many days has it been?"

"Three weeks- twenty one days," Ginny said, confused. "Hermione- wait-"

Hermione hugged her waist, joy alighting in her eyes. "He's here, Gin. He's coming- look!" There was a glow forming in an area not too far from the lake, the same spot she had appeared.

"Harry," Hermione breathed, running to the place. "Harry."

The glow was materializing in a shape she was familiar with. His shape. His body. Her Harry.

Ginny was send Patronus messages to her brother, Luna, Neville, and Professor McGonagall. Hermione paid her no attention- she was focused on the form of her husband.

And suddenly, Harry was _there_ and groaning and Hermione was feeling that dizzying rush of love and déjà vu. In the distance three forms were quickly outrunning a fourth, on their way to Harry and Hermione and Ginny.

He was bent over and had his hands pressing his ears and the side of his head, still making the little noise of pain. Hermione reached out slowly and put her hands on top of his. At her touch, his watering eyes snapped open.

"I thought I lost you forever," Harry said hoarsely, green eyes locked on hers. "I wasn't ready to live without you."

Hermione smiled at him radiantly. "My lovely idiot. I knew you were coming. How's your head, darling?"

He grinned in return, straightening. "Fine enough to do this." He swept her into his arms, burying his face in her mane of curls for a moment before kissing her.

The first time they had kissed, it had been full of uncertainty and newness. She had never kissed someone the way she kissed him, and had never been kissed the way Harry had kissed her. This time, it was completely different. This time their lips moved over and against each other like they had done it a thousand times and would do it a thousand more. It was a kiss of familiarity, of glorious homecoming, of reaffirming that which would never change.

His right hand was anchored firmly in her hair and his left was pressing her to him, and she could feel the hard metal of his wedding band pressing into her skin. Her hands had gone around his neck and into his unruly hair, and she was just losing herself in Harry.

They broke apart, breathing hard, foreheads pressed together. "I love you," he said, holding her to him more securely.

"I love you, too." It felt like those were the sweetest words that had ever crossed her lips. "I am yours. Forever."

"Mine," he breathed, slanting his lips over hers again. "Wife."

She flicked the side of his head. "You're forgetting something," she said playfully.

His wonderfully green eyes were dancing wickedly. "And I'm yours, of course." They kissed again.

They moved apart reluctantly, holding hands. Harry's thumb was moving over her wedding and engagement rings, and just holding his hand made a happy laugh bubble up in her chest.

Ron was gaping and turning an uncomfortable shade of puce, while Ginny had a rather ugly look on her normally pretty face. McGonagall was beaming, as was Neville. Luna just smirked, an 'I knew this was going to happen' look on her face.

"Is this our people, or is it another place?" Harry asked conversationally, tucking her into the side of his body.

Hermione nudged him. "Are you my Harry or are you another one?"

"Well, let's see," Harry said, still grinning broadly. "I promised to love you forever and a day, until the earth stands still and we have long been dust. Are you my Hermione?"

Hermione squeezed his hand. "I hope you there aren't a hundred other Harrys who recited the same wedding vows to a hundred other Hermiones at the Potter's mansion in 1978."

They laughed at the same time. "Yep," Harry said happily. "Either that's true or you're my Hermione."

"That's good," Hermione said. "And I'm pretty sure this is the right place."

Harry nodded. "How long's it been?"

"Three weeks since I've been here, and ten since you've disappeared," Hermione replied. "Prat. You're late."

"Sorry, love," Harry said. He faced the crowd. "Blimey, I can't tell you how good it is to see all your faces."

* * *

They had to get married- again- a few weeks later. Apparently the Ministry didn't acknowledge marriages that had never happened years before they were born and with the groom's dead parents as witnesses.

They had waited until Harry's black eye faded (Ron, apparently, had not taken the news his best mate was married to the girl he'd fancied for years well) and until Ginny had come around and agreed to bridesmaid with Luna.

Mrs. Weasley had yelled, squeezed uncomfortably, wept a bit, then decided she was making the cake. Harry and Hermione had looked at each other and decided not to argue. They had their perfect wedding already once; this one could be a bit strange and it wouldn't hurt a fly.

The honeymoon to Paris was lovely, and Harry and Hermione had lolled around in bed for a few days talking and laughing and (at least on Hermione's part) crying. They were home.

* * *

"Lily- Lily, please don't cry," Addie begged. The Italian girl used her thumbs to frantically wipe tears from the redhead's eyes. "Please, Lily."

Resplendent in her wedding dress, Lily sobbed. "It's not right without Hermione," she managed to communicate to Addie. "I miss her."

"I do too," Addie said despondently. "Please don't cry, Lily. She wouldn't want you to cry. She'd want you to go out there and marry James and _smile_. C'mon. Smile."

The somewhat shaky effort Lily put out wasn't perfect, but it was something. "Good," Addie said, reaching for her wand and carefully siphoning the blotched mascara from Lily's face. "Now let me redo your makeup."

* * *

Lily carefully rested a hand on her abdomen, staring at herself in the bathroom mirror. "Bloody hell," she whispered."

"Lily?" James voice called. "I'm home. Did you stop at the market on your way from training and get the apples?"

"Uh- no," Lily called back, stepping out of the bathroom and walking over to James. "I got sidetracked."

When he saw her face, James paused from shrugging out of his Auror's jacket. "Lils? Are you okay, love?"

Lily nodded slowly. "I think I'm pregnant, James," she said, putting a hand on her belly again. "I thought I had the flu- remember? But today at training we were going over the signs a Healer looks for to assess pregnancy and I started ticking things off in my head and-"

"Wait- slow down, Lily. Are- are you sure?" James was staring at her, wide eyed. "Holy mother of Merlin-"

"POTTERS!" yelled Sirius, stepping through the Floo and shaking his head to rid himself of the ash. "You will never believe-" He stopped, staring. "Um. Okay. Hello. Want to come up air anytime soon?"

James pulled away from his wife. "Lily's preggers, Sirius!"

Sirius' eyes bugged out. "Holy mother of Merlin. I'm going to go get Remus and Addie! We're celebrating!"

* * *

"What do you want to do, now?" asked Harry. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head.

Hermione crooked her neck to look up at him. "I'm assuming you're not talking about what I want to do when I'm finished with dinner," she guessed.

He gave her an absentminded half smile. "You'd be assuming correctly, my dear." He kissed the back of her neck, which had been distracting him since she had put her hair up in twist.

"Hold it, mister, I'm cooking," Hermione ordered. "This is a rare occurrence, so out. We can talk about this at dinner." She pointed the knife at the door of their small kitchen. "Out, Mr. Potter."

Harry sighed. "Very well, madam." He started for the door.

"Oi! Potter," Hermione called. "You forgot something." She raised an eyebrow at him expectantly.

His face went blank for a moment, then a light of realization came on behind his eyes. "Ah. My apologies." He bent and kissed her lips lightly. "When will dinner be ready? If you don't burn anything?"

"You're bloody lucky I'm cooking," Hermione grumbled good-naturedly. "Keep this up and you'll be cooking your birthday dinner. And 'if I don't burn anything' dinner will be ready in half an hour."

She shook her head as he left the kitchen. _Just because that man can cook like a house elf does not mean he gets the right to act all high and mighty in the kitchen_.

They had been back home long enough to remarry, buy a house, and settle down quite admirably. Hermione had lovely little lab in the back of the house that she used to create spells that she then patented and sold. Harry Flooed to the Ministry on weekdays, aiding in the government restructuring with quiet help from Hermione. Every Sunday they had dinner at a large gathering at the Weasleys, and every Wednesday Neville and Luna stopped by their cottage for a lovely supper and nightcap afterward.

Remus and Tonks had died in the Battle of Hogwarts, much to the Potters' grief. Teddy was now living with Andromeda, who Harry and Hermione visited just about every other day. Teddy was completely enamored with Hermione and her springy curls, and was quite a little menace when it came to Harry's wire rimmed glasses. The little boy had adopted Harry's face more than once, although he insisted on blue hair. It was a balm to the tired, grief stricken woman who was his grandmother, bring a smile to her face.

Life was good. Calm, quiet, routine. The couple was happy.

* * *

"Minerva! What a surprise!" Lily exclaimed, surprised to see her former professor at the door. "Come in!"

Somewhat awkwardly with her enormous belly, Lily backed away and gave McGonagall room to get through the door. "Do you want me to put on the kettle for tea?"

"That would be lovely, Lily," McGonagall said, nodding once sharply.

It wasn't until the tea had been sipped and biscuits nibbled on that McGonagall broached the reason for her visit. "I thought you might want to know that the Book has registered that a young Muggleborn witch has shown the first signs of her accidental magic. Her name is Hermione Granger."

Lily choked on her tea, and coughed. "You mean-"

"I do," McGonagall said, breaking into a smile. "And have you decided what you will name your child?"

The mother-to-be shook her head mutely, then recalled her manners. "I- We- James and I were talking about it. We both love Harry, of course, which is probably why Harry was Harry in the first place. But when again, we thought it might be a bit strange for everyone- the boys and of course people who had known them the first time around. A different name might be best- Damien, perhaps, or Charles."

"It's up to you, of course, dear," McGonagall reminded Lily, resting a wrinkled but strong hand on other woman's. "But I do think Harry and Hermione sounds better than Damien and Hermione, or Charles and Hermione."

* * *

"Harry!" Hermione called out, staring at the test in her hand. "Harry! It's done!"

Harry burst into the bathroom, green eyes worried. "And?"

"It says yes!" Hermione laughed and hugged her husband. "Imagine. A baby!"

"A little girl with your hair."

"Or a little boy with your eyes."

They kissed quickly. "I need to schedule an appointment at St. Mungo's," Hermione said eagerly.

"I'll do it," Harry said immediately. "The Floo is hard on the knees. I don't want you-"

Hermione raised her hand. "Harry. I'm prolly not even two months along yet. I can kneel on the floor."

"And I can do it for you," Harry reminded her, kissing her quickly. "Would Monday or Tuesday be better?"

* * *

"Where is she?" Harry demanded. "Where is my wife?"

The orderly quailed under his hard green eyes. "She's in the fourth room down the hall to the left."

Harry set off at a run, skidding to a halt then pausing in front of the door. He could hear her sobbing within.

"Hermione?" he said softly, opening the door carefully. "Mione? Love?"

She just cried harder.

He climbed into the narrow bed with her, holding her close to him. "I love you," he whispered. "Oh, Mione."

"I couldn't do anything," Hermione whimpered. "There was so much blood, Harry. I couldn't stop it and I couldn't- I couldn't-" she broke down again. "They told me it was a boy."

He just held her tighter as they both mourned their unborn child.

* * *

"Harry- Harry James Potter, you will stop that this instant!" Lily scolded, holding her son up to her face level. "Now say sorry to Mindy."

The two-year-old patted the grey cat on the head. "Sorry, kitty," he said. "Mommy, broom back?" He pouted adorably.

Lily shook her head. "Not inside the house, dearest. Let's go into the backyard."

"Okay, Mommy!" Harry shouted, already running for the door. "Outside! Broom?"

Sighing, Lily handed back the toy broom. "Broom," she agreed. "Ten minutes, Harry, and then we need to go inside and make Uncle Sirius a birthday cake."

"Cake!" hollered Harry, already zooming around on the broom. "Cake for Paddy!"

* * *

There were two more miscarriages before Hermione carried a baby to more than three months. In that time, Neville and Luna married, as did Lavender and Ron.

Lavender had an adorable four-month-old son named Hugo, while Fleur had a little girl named Victoire. Teddy was a rambunctious toddler. Hermione was miserable and elated in turns.

Now, she was eight months pregnant, and had been confined to bed for the past four. She was worried, nervous, filled with anticipation, and bored to tears.

It had been maddening and achingly sad, the years it had taken for Harry and Hermione to come to terms with reality. Dreams did not always turn into reality. It was anything but easy to go from wanting children to having children.

But now they were so close. So, so close.

"I love you already little one," Hermione said aloud, as was her habit. Anything she read was now also spoken, for the baby's benefit. "So you need to stay put for just a little longer. Although I do want to see your face desperately. And I would rather like to get out of this bed."

The baby stretched and hiccupped, a rather strange feeling. Hermione smiled. "I'm glad you agree. Four more weeks. That won't be too bad now, will it?"

Another little kick. "Well, we'll just have to deal with it," said Hermione. "But we have this delightful new book that Daddy brought me from Diagon Alley. Let's see- _Hogwarts, A History, Forty-fifth Edition._" She patted her belly. "Excellent choice, Daddy."

* * *

"Are you ready to go, love?" James asked Lily, hefting Harry onto his hip. "I'll take Harry in the Floo first, if you'd like."

Lily nodded, looking at her husband in the mirror as she tried to put on an earring. "Can you leave him with Remus and come back for Charlotte? I need to finish getting ready."

"Of course, love," said James. "Two minutes."

Addie and Sirius were getting married- Addie was finally done with school, Sirius was done with the Auror Academy, and both were more than ready to be wed.

It wasn't long before Lily was running into Addie's room, both children left in the combined care of James and Remus.

She bumped into Dorcas on the way in. "Sorry," Lily said hastily. "Hello, Addie! Sorry I'm late, Charlotte didn't want to get into her dress and Harry hated his tie-" she bent to kiss Addie on the cheek.

"It's alright, Lily," Addie said, laughing and hugging her old friend. "Can you do that thing with my hair that you did for Hermione's wedding?"

* * *

"Gabrielle," Hermione proposed, one finger tracing a line from her daughter's forehead to the tip of her nose.

Harry kissed Hermione's forehead. "Rose."

Hermione rested her head against her husband's chest. "Sophia."

"Isabelle," Harry proposed. "Or Isabella."

Hermione wrinkled her nose. "No. Yvette."

"Christine? Arielle? Eleanor?" Harry asked. "Mandy, Harriet, Emily, Penelope?"

"Hmm…" Hermione mused. "I liked that one. Eleanor?"

For a long moment, the couple gazed at the tiny face of their little girl. "Eleanor sounds nice," Harry agreed. "Eleanor Lily Potter?"

"Eleanor Lily Potter," Hermione agreed, pressing a kiss to the child's forehead. "It sounds lovely."

* * *

Lily sipped her coffee at the breakfast table, reading over the letter than a haughty barn owl had just delivered. "Severus finally got his Mastery," she told James absentmindedly. "And- oh! He's engaged now. A girl he met in the States. Says her name is Rose."

"Nice," James said. "No- no- Lotte, darling, the porridge does not go up Daddy's nose. It goes in Charlotte's mouth."

"Lotte, be a good girl and eat your breakfast," Lily said, not looking up from the letter. "Harry!"

There was the sound of pounding footsteps, and Harry appeared. "I don't want to wear the sweater, Mommy," Harry insisted. "It's ugly."

Sighing, Lily ran a hand through her son's messy hair. "It's cold outside, Harry. You need to wear something warm."

"I don't like the colors!" Harry said angrily. "It's _ugly_, Mommy!"

"Arms up, Harry," Lily said, brooking no argument. "Up!"

But no matter how she tugged or pulled at the sweater, it firmly refused to fit on Harry's head. "No! No, no, no, no!" By the time she was finished with it, the sweater could have fit a doll.

"James," Lily said wearily, calling her husband's attention to the situation. "Harry's gone and magicked his sweater too small. Can you hand me my wand?"

James fixed his son with a look. "Harry," he said sternly. "Listen to your mother. Ah- Charlotte!" Even Lily had to hold in her laughter as Charlotte dumped her porridge on her father's lap.

"I'm going to change the sweater to blue and red instead of brown and red," Lily told Harry. "And you are going to need to tell the teacher that I just got you a new one, alright? You can't say anything about Mommy changing the colors with her wand."

"Okay, Mommy," Harry said, abashed by his father's warning. "Thank you."

* * *

"Neville! I found a compartment!" Harry shouted. "Over here!" Pudgy and round-faced, keeping a firm hold on his toad, Neville Longbottom pulled his trunk behind him until he got to where his friend Harry was.

Harry's trunk got stuck in the door, and he gave it a vicious yank to get it through. With a muttered oath he heaved it up onto the racks above the seats.

A small girl with a head full of bushy brown hair poked her head in the carriage. "Oh-hello. Did you want to sit with me?" She gestured to the rack opposite of where Harry had put his luggage. A brown trunk embossed with HJG was sitting up there.

Harry grinned. "Hey- you have nearly the same initials as me. I'm Harry. Harry James Potter." He stuck out a hand.

The girl took it, grinning to show two large front teeth. "Hermione. Hermione Jane Granger. How do you do?"

Harry's forehead wrinkled. "That's funny- I have an aunt named Hermione. Are you named after the Shakespeare play or the Greek myth?"

"I'm surprised you know of either," Hermione admitted, laughing nervously. "Shakespeare. Do you really have an aunt with the same name?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Except I've never met her. Are you a first year?"

"I am," Hermione said. "But I'm nearly twelve. I got my letter a year ago- wonderful surprise, really. I'm Muggleborn."

Neville appeared, lugging his trunk. "Harry, you've gotta help me. Trevor got loose."

"Wanna help us find Neville's toad?" Harry asked, shooting a glance at his new friend.

Hermione grinned. "Sure."

* * *

"Write every day if you want to," Hermione said, holding back her tears. "Twice a day. Three times." She hugged her daughter tightly, stroking the jet-black curls.

Eleanor grinned weakly. "I think once a day will do. You'll write me every day?" Though she would never say it, Eleanor Potter was worried- Hermione could see it clearly in her daughter's green eyes.

"Every day," Hermione promised, kissing her daughter on her forehead.

Harry opened his arms. "Give your dear old Dad a hug," he instructed, squeezing her tightly. "Don't worry about the Sorting- it will go fine. Let us know tomorrow what House you're in."

"Don't worry, sis," said Jonathan Potter, hugging his older sister quickly. "It'll be fine. I'll bet you won't get Slytherin."

"And even if you do, we'll love you anyway," chimed the youngest, Gabriel. He smirked at his sister, who mussed his own head of curls.

Eleanor's smile broadened. "Thanks," she said wryly.

"Good luck, love," Hermione whispered, holding her daughter tightly. "Say hello to Neville and Luna for Dad and me."

"Cept they'll be Professor Longbottom and- Mione, is Luna using her maiden name?" Harry asked. At his wife's nod, he continued. "Professor Longbottom and Professor Lovegood."

Eleanor nodded determinedly. "The train is going to leave soon. I need to find a compartment."

"Goodbye, sweet," Hermione said, hugging Gabriel to her. For once, her son didn't protest.

The girl waved, already half on the train. "Bye, Mum! Bye Dad!"

"And so she's off," Harry said quietly. "Should I be this worried?"

"Considering what we went through at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked rhetorically. "Of course."

* * *

"So this is what Hermione meant when she told me I'd be surprised who I'd fall in love with," Remus said, shaking his head. "James, can you believe it?"

James chuckled. "That you'd marry Sirius' baby cousin? Yeah, no."

"Cradle robber," Sirius threw in. "Blimey. I can't believe Nymphy said yes." He was laughing, until he yelped.

Nymphadora Tonks raised an eyebrow. "Tonks, Sirius. How many times do I have to tell you that-"

"Oi! You're a Lupin, now!" Sirius protested. "What are we supposed to-"

Tonks glared at him. "Tonks."

* * *

"Go in peace, my love," Harry said, silent tears running down his cheeks. "You don't need to hang on any more."

Hermione's breath rattled in her chest. "I've said goodbye to all of them?"

Harry nodded, then realized she couldn't see it. "Yes, Mione. Gabe just left with his children, and Emma brought in little Daniel. You've seen our children, and our children's children. And your great-grandson."

She smiled. "He's wonderful."

"He is," Harry agreed. "I love you, Hermione."

Hermione struggled to sit up. "Harry. I'm so glad we've had so much time together."

"Almost eighty years," Harry whispered, crying in earnest now. "Gods, Hermione. I don't want to lose you. I swore I'd never leave you again."

"Death is but-" Hermione tried to say, but ended up coughing.

Harry finished for her. "The next great adventure," he wept. "I think I'll be joining you soon, my love. Wait for me."

Hermione kissed his lips. "Always," she whispered. "Forever and a day."

* * *

**Hopefully, not too sad. **

**Thank you for making it this far. It's been quite the adventure, don't you think? **

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed, at any point in this story. I want to thank everyone who will review. I love every single one. **

**And so the journey comes to an end- I've finished my first novel-length story. Quite a feat- I'm proud of this. I'm so excited that it is done. **

**Leave me a review letting me know your favorite part, if you would. I would love to know. **

**So many people, all over the world, have read this story. Goodbye, to all of you. Hopefully, it's not for forever- you'll wander over to my author's page and read another of my stories. **

**Years have gone into this. I started as a not so great author, and now I'm pretty confident in my (still to be improved) abilities. Thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way. Everyone who has read this has read a part of me and my soul- you know me in a way. It's dizzying- and it's done. (Geez, I feel over dramatic. But I do kind of want to pinch myself now)**

**I bid you, my readers, adieu. It was great. :) **


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